Mark Anthony & SHARP
Despite wine enthusiasts singing its praises, Uruguay’s Bodega Garzón continues to hide under the radar for most North Americans. Nevertheless, the mainstream buzz surrounding its exceptional, award-winning wines is building steadily. For those not yet aware of why the winery is exceptional, allow us to guide you through the elements that make Bodega Garzón such a hidden gem (and why it won’t stay that way for long).
Never heard of Tannat? Don’t stress. It’s a niche grape from French Basque Country that’s so intensely tannic, winemakers often have to blend in Cabernet to tamp down its aggressive nature.
When the grape moved to Uruguay, though, Tannat immediately chilled out. The soil, the, climate and abundant sunshine were the perfect conditions for this problem grape, something that was discovered 150 years ago by a Basque newcomer who was obsessed with this old-world variety.
“All the grape varieties from Europe came to South America through the port in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo,” says Christian Wylie, managing director of Bodega Garzón. “All of them. Malbec can’t handle humidity, so it left for Mendoza. Carménère need a longer ripening season, so it went to Chile. But Tannat is early ripening and does well with humidity, so it stayed in Uruguay.”
Unlike the “black wine” of Basque country, Garzón Reserva Tannat is vibrant and juicy, with plenty of rich fruit and a dry finish, making it an excellent choice to serve with grilled meats or anything slathered in red sauce. As if that weren’t enough, it’s so versatile it can be paired with hearty veggie dishes and fatty fish, so you can ignore that (long disproven rule) about white wine with fish.
There’s nothing wrong with pairing whites with fish, of course, especially if it’s this bone-dry, crunchy, and bright Garzón Reserva Albariño.
Most Albariño comes from Spain’s Galicia region but it’s common in Uruguay, too, because the many Galicians that moved to South America wanted to keep drinking their signature crispy white in their new home. The grape thrived in Uruguay’s rocky, granite-rich soil, with a little help from the salty Atlantic breeze that takes the edge off the humidity — conditions that actually aren’t entirely dissimilar to Galicia’s ocean-facing wine country.
Wylie says two-thirds of the credit for the wine should go to the land, but the other third goes to the winemakers who do the extraction, fermentation, and manage the vineyards. Named one of the world’s best, Garzón’s vineyards have been divided up into a staggering 1,500 parcels, each one ideal for a specific grape. Some parcels are devoted to special expressions, such as the Garzón Single Vineyard Tannat. While the profile varies, most vintages are chewy and complex with rich notes like chocolate, black currants, tobacco, and leather — a special occasion wine, for sure.
The showstopper wine at Garzón is Balasto, named after the region’s fast-draining granite sands. It’s a complex “thinker” that sees small amounts of other wines mixed with a special parcel of Tannat — the heart of the blend. Aged 20 months, it’s a lovely balance of spice, smoke and bold fruit.
Needless to say, Balasto makes a perfect gift. Of course, so do all those other hidden gems from Uruguay. Whether it’s gifting an Albariño to your favourite host or serving up a Tannat at a casual Sunday dinner, these wines never fail to surprise the many who didn’t even know they made wine in Uruguay — let alone how delicious it is.
The winery exclusively uses French oak, because it doesn’t exert as much influence as wood from other regions, a consideration that plays a key role in making each of its wines so distinct. “We strive for sustainability, so we use big 5,000-litre barrels so the ratio of wine to oak is very high,” explains Wylie. “The barrels aren’t toasted because we don’t want you to find the wine tastes like toffee or vanilla. That’s not a part of this place.”
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