Tannat has a reputation for mouth ripping tannins but this gem from Uruguay somehow solves that problem. A masterful wine, both powerful and delicate, at a great price.
Dense, murky aromas of blackberry, smoked game, forest floor, and black pepper rule, punctuated by subtle hints of vanilla. In the mouth, dark berries on burnt toast and licorice quickly give way to a duet of stony minerality and firm acidity that give this wine its intensity and life. All that drama plays out on a soft, yielding foundation of juicy fruit that persists into the long, quietly bracing, mineral driven finish.
A unique wine, it gets it brood on, dark and defiant, but with a delicate side, a feral malevolent grin whispering sweetly.
It was delicious accompanied by the dark but delicate moods of Cenizas by Nicholas Jaar.
Notes: Bodegas Garzon was Wine Enthusiast’s 2018 new world winery of the year. Alberto Antonini, Antinori’s head winemaker, is consulting winemaker for Bodegas Garzon, a state-of-the-art winery owned by Argentine billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni
Score: 92
Price: $18
Alc: 14.5%
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