If you aren’t drinking Tannat, what are you even doing? Tannat is a rich, red grape, found often as a big, full body wine in the Madiran region of Southwest France (Napa Cab fans take note). It’s also often found in Uruguay, where the grape can translate into big, unctuous wines or light, lithe, highly chillable bottles.
At Bodega Garzon, Tannat is equally versatile. In a Reserva, it’s floral and approachable. In their Balasto—the Uruguayan winery’s signature blend—Tanant has big, cool, brambly fruit and vibrant, velvety tannins, with notes of dried rosemary. The exact blends will shift from year to year, depending on weather and climate. Some years it will include Merlot, other years a pinch of Marselan is what’s needed to perfect the Balasto. 2020 is a particularly great one—it was one of the best harvests in the last 30 years of Uruguayan winemaking. $102
Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.
