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Tannat is a red-wine grape originating in the Madiran region of France, but now important as grown in Uruguay, where it is that nation's signature wine grape; in its home region, it continues to be grown, but those wines are not generally major players on the international scene. Tannat is generally considered one of the dozen and a half or so of world-class red-wine grapes. Other regions are beginning to experiment with Tannat, both in South America and in the U.S., but Uruguay remains the chief source. In the U.S., Texas is emerging as a hotbed of Tannat activity, and Virginia is showing some stirrings, too; California, of course, also has entries.
The very name of the grape means “tannin”, and the wines are typically very dark and, yes, tannic (owing mainly to the unusually thick skins and high seed count of Tannat grapes). When made in the Madiran, Tannat is commonly blended with other wines to soften its tannic astringency. More recently, vintners there have experimented with using more oak for softening, and more recently yet, with “micro-oxygenation”, the use of oxygen aeration during the fermentation process. Another change in the Madiran has been the replacement of older Tannat vines with newer clones that are intended to be more appealing on the international scene, meaning that they produce softer wines of higher alcohol content. Meanwhile, the Uruguayan vines are still mostly the older, original clones brought over from France, so we have the ironic situation of the New World plantings being the older, more traditional clones while the Old World plantings are less distinctively varietal and more “internationalized” (read “less characterful”).
The Uruguayan climate also seems especially favorable to the Tannat vine, which ripens better and, though of the older clones, produces wines more accessible than the monsters old Madiran bottlings tended to be. Nevertheless, “progress” (meaning saleability) is hard to resist, and many Uruguayan vintners are now planting the newer Madiran clones to better appeal to mass international tastes. It is thus helpful, with Uruguayan Tannats, to know whether the winemaker is using older or newer vines.
Tannat wines typically taste of dark red fruit, raspberry usually being mentioned in descriptions, though blueberry is also cited, especially for the Uruguayan types.
Owing to its high tannin levels, Tannat is sometimes touted (even above red wines in general) for supposed health benefits, the longevity of Madiran residents occasionally being cited in “evidence”. It is less clear what reliable medical sources believe.
Factoid: Tannat is associated with the Madiran region of France, but may actually have arisen in the Basque country just the other side of the Pyrenees Mountains from Madiran.
“A French Tannat is characterized by its firm, tannic structure with raspberry aromas and the ability to age well. They often have a deep dark color with high level of alcohol…The Tannat wines produced [in Uruguay] are characterized by more elegant and softer tannins and blackberry fruit notes. Vineyards in Uruguay have begun to distinguish between the ‘old vines’ that are descendants from the original cuttings brought over from Europe and the new clones being produced today. The newer vines tend to produce more powerful wines with higher alcohol levels but less acidity and complex fruit characteristics. Some wineries utilize both vines to make blends.”
“Tannat makes decidedly robust wines, with pronounced aromas of smoke and plum, significant tannins and a wonderfully spicy finish…[W]e’ve found the wines to be dense purple-red in color, with a nose of tobacco, smoke, and ripe berries. The rich palate has juicy flavors of plum and raspberry, with a long, generous finish. The tannins are impressive, but nicely balanced with the intense fruit and spice flavors of the wine. Unlike most Old World examples, you can enjoy our Tannats young, but we believe that they benefit from three to five years of bottle aging and should evolve gracefully for two decades.”
“Modern French Tannat is characterized by its firm tannin structure, deep color, high alcohol and its ability to age well. The aroma profile is gently tarry and redolent of stewed red berries (‘warm raspberry jam’ sums this up well)…Back in Uruguay, a slightly different approach is taken to blending Tannat. Rather than blend it with varieties which are only slightly less ‘rustic’, the Uruguayan approach is often to introduce it to the likes of Pinot Noir and Merlot, whose soft, rounded fruit character are almost the antithesis of Tannat. This results in a spectrum of possible styles comparable to anything from Beaujolais to Port, depending on the winemaking technique. Some purists might suggest that it is Uruguay which has the ‘true’ Tannat, as the style there is more akin to olden day Madiran.”
“Tannat’s color is a deep purple-red. Lots of red fruit, plum, and spice are found in Tannat along with hints of tobacco and smoke. With a very firm tannic nature, especially in France, Tannat can age well. Wines typically age for about twenty months in oak before being bottled. In Argentina and Uruguay, Tannat with softer tannins, more dark plum, and blackberry are common, while French Tannat has more raspberry notes and firmer tannin.”
“Tannat does not have any very specific aromas. Like many red wines, its flavors are primarily fruity when young. Blackberry, blackcurrant and red fruit aromas enrich more plant-like notes of white tobacco and, with ageing, hints of wild game and fur. Tannat is used to make colorful, highly tannic, lively wines, with a clearly acidic character. These dual qualities enable Tannat to make high quality red wines that are well structured and can be aged in the cellar for many years.”
“Pick up a glass of inky red Tannat…and you’ll typically find aromas of red fruit, dried plum, quince and touches of liquorice, backed up in the mouth by a brisk acidity and a notable tannic structure.”
“Tannat can be quite complex on the palate, showing black fruit flavors, like blackberry and black currant. Depending on the oak treatment, the wines can show also chocolate or espresso flavors. I find the best examples to be rich, with lots of structure and complexity. There is often a savory quality to these wines, too, especially with some bottle age.”
“[Uruguayan Tannat] used to be tannic, but good winemakers have figured out how to deal with that. Now it consistently comes in with ripe tannins and fruit flavors and a satisfying body at alcohol levels about 13.5%. And the main thing is the freshness. Your palate won’t get fatigued drinking a Uruguayan Tannat. It bothers me that some of the companies exporting Tannat to the US define the grape differently. Here’s a wine where you can look at the alcohol level and see what they're up to. Anything over about 14.2% (that’s the highest fresh one in my notes) and the Tannat-ness withered on the vine. Some of the slickest companies at exporting to the US make bulky Tannats. If that’s what you want, you might as well buy Argentine Malbec. Argentina’s economy sucks and is getting worse; Uruguay’s economy is booming and its peso is strong. There’s no reason to pay a premium for a Uruguay wine unless you’re tasting that premium in the glass. When you do taste premium Uruguayan Tannat, it’s a beautiful thing: intense without weight, elegant, long-lasting, memorable.”
“Tannat wines are typically deep, dark, dry and rustic…What tannat is most known for however, is its high levels of tannin – and isn't that easy to remember – tannin sounds a lot like tannat! If you don’t know what tannin is, it’s that dry, astringent feeling you get in the middle of your tongue and the front part of your mouth. Unsweetened black tea is a great example of nearly pure tannin dissolved in water. Even though tannat is now being grown across the globe, the tannat vines in North and South America are noticeably different from those in modern day French vineyards. This is because the oldest of the French vines are direct descendants of the pre-phylloxera cuttings that were taken across the Atlantic in the 1800s. This has caused Uruguayan tannat from South America to be slightly lower in tannins. The French clones are producing more powerful wines simply because they have been engineered to cater better to the modern consumer. Softer, higher alcohol wines are more in demand, so grapes like tannat, with its high natural acidity and high tannins, could be run out of the market by more well-known favorites like merlot and syrah. Wine purists may argue that Uruguay has the ‘true’ tannat, as the style there is more akin to classic French varietal. As tannat is the national grape of Uruguay, its ties with France will likely fade away. This won’t make tannat much different from some of the originally great wines from Bordeaux such as malbec and Carmenere, which were adopted by Argentina and Chile respectively.”
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Some Descriptions of Tannat Wines
“A French Tannat is characterized by its firm, tannic structure with raspberry aromas and the ability to age well. They often have a deep dark color with high level of alcohol…The Tannat wines produced [in Uruguay] are characterized by more elegant and softer tannins and blackberry fruit notes. Vineyards in Uruguay have begun to distinguish between the ‘old vines’ that are descendants from the original cuttings brought over from Europe and the new clones being produced today. The newer vines tend to produce more powerful wines with higher alcohol levels but less acidity and complex fruit characteristics. Some wineries utilize both vines to make blends.”
“Tannat makes decidedly robust wines, with pronounced aromas of smoke and plum, significant tannins and a wonderfully spicy finish…[W]e’ve found the wines to be dense purple-red in color, with a nose of tobacco, smoke, and ripe berries. The rich palate has juicy flavors of plum and raspberry, with a long, generous finish. The tannins are impressive, but nicely balanced with the intense fruit and spice flavors of the wine. Unlike most Old World examples, you can enjoy our Tannats young, but we believe that they benefit from three to five years of bottle aging and should evolve gracefully for two decades.”
“Modern French Tannat is characterized by its firm tannin structure, deep color, high alcohol and its ability to age well. The aroma profile is gently tarry and redolent of stewed red berries (‘warm raspberry jam’ sums this up well)…Back in Uruguay, a slightly different approach is taken to blending Tannat. Rather than blend it with varieties which are only slightly less ‘rustic’, the Uruguayan approach is often to introduce it to the likes of Pinot Noir and Merlot, whose soft, rounded fruit character are almost the antithesis of Tannat. This results in a spectrum of possible styles comparable to anything from Beaujolais to Port, depending on the winemaking technique. Some purists might suggest that it is Uruguay which has the ‘true’ Tannat, as the style there is more akin to olden day Madiran.”
“Characteristics of the grape: firm in tannins, full-bodied, dark garnet red/purple, blackberries, dark plum, smoke, clove, nutmeg, allspice.”
“Tannat’s color is a deep purple-red. Lots of red fruit, plum, and spice are found in Tannat along with hints of tobacco and smoke. With a very firm tannic nature, especially in France, Tannat can age well. Wines typically age for about twenty months in oak before being bottled. In Argentina and Uruguay, Tannat with softer tannins, more dark plum, and blackberry are common, while French Tannat has more raspberry notes and firmer tannin.”
“Tannat does not have any very specific aromas. Like many red wines, its flavors are primarily fruity when young. Blackberry, blackcurrant and red fruit aromas enrich more plant-like notes of white tobacco and, with ageing, hints of wild game and fur. Tannat is used to make colorful, highly tannic, lively wines, with a clearly acidic character. These dual qualities enable Tannat to make high quality red wines that are well structured and can be aged in the cellar for many years.”
“Pick up a glass of inky red Tannat…and you’ll typically find aromas of red fruit, dried plum, quince and touches of liquorice, backed up in the mouth by a brisk acidity and a notable tannic structure.”
“Tannat can be quite complex on the palate, showing black fruit flavors, like blackberry and black currant. Depending on the oak treatment, the wines can show also chocolate or espresso flavors. I find the best examples to be rich, with lots of structure and complexity. There is often a savory quality to these wines, too, especially with some bottle age.”
“[Uruguayan Tannat] used to be tannic, but good winemakers have figured out how to deal with that. Now it consistently comes in with ripe tannins and fruit flavors and a satisfying body at alcohol levels about 13.5%. And the main thing is the freshness. Your palate won’t get fatigued drinking a Uruguayan Tannat. It bothers me that some of the companies exporting Tannat to the US define the grape differently. Here’s a wine where you can look at the alcohol level and see what they're up to. Anything over about 14.2% (that’s the highest fresh one in my notes) and the Tannat-ness withered on the vine. Some of the slickest companies at exporting to the US make bulky Tannats. If that’s what you want, you might as well buy Argentine Malbec. Argentina’s economy sucks and is getting worse; Uruguay’s economy is booming and its peso is strong. There’s no reason to pay a premium for a Uruguay wine unless you’re tasting that premium in the glass. When you do taste premium Uruguayan Tannat, it’s a beautiful thing: intense without weight, elegant, long-lasting, memorable.”
“Tannat wines are typically deep, dark, dry and rustic…What tannat is most known for however, is its high levels of tannin – and isn't that easy to remember – tannin sounds a lot like tannat! If you don’t know what tannin is, it’s that dry, astringent feeling you get in the middle of your tongue and the front part of your mouth. Unsweetened black tea is a great example of nearly pure tannin dissolved in water. Even though tannat is now being grown across the globe, the tannat vines in North and South America are noticeably different from those in modern day French vineyards. This is because the oldest of the French vines are direct descendants of the pre-phylloxera cuttings that were taken across the Atlantic in the 1800s. This has caused Uruguayan tannat from South America to be slightly lower in tannins. The French clones are producing more powerful wines simply because they have been engineered to cater better to the modern consumer. Softer, higher alcohol wines are more in demand, so grapes like tannat, with its high natural acidity and high tannins, could be run out of the market by more well-known favorites like merlot and syrah. Wine purists may argue that Uruguay has the ‘true’ tannat, as the style there is more akin to classic French varietal. As tannat is the national grape of Uruguay, its ties with France will likely fade away. This won’t make tannat much different from some of the originally great wines from Bordeaux such as malbec and Carmenere, which were adopted by Argentina and Chile respectively.”