Who: Bodega Pisano
What: Río de Los Pájaros Tannat 2005
Where: Progreso, Region Cótière, Uruguay
Why: When I saw this wine on the shelf in the BCLS, I did a wee jig, for we just don’t see wines from Uruguay on this market. With new-found giddiness, I zipped home, fired up the grill and popped the cork. Familiar with tannat through France’s brooding, rustic Madiran wines, I thought I knew what I was in for. Wrong! This Uruguayan Tannat, while still full of ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit, was much more perfumed and refined — medium bodied, with juicy vanillan plum, cocoa and soft savoury spice.
How (much): $19.05 BCLS
When: Perfectly suited for turkey burgers — cranberry sauce trumps ketchup here. Would also be lovely with chicken or pork kabobs.
Winespeak of the Week: The Tannat grape is known for wines that are deeply coloured, highly tannic and full of force. It originated in southeastern France’s Pyrenees, where it is the dominant grape in Madiran wines. Recently, it has taken the Uruguay wine industry by storm, emerging as the emblematic varietal of the country. In Uruguay, the grape is also known Harriague.