URUGUAYAN TANNAT

Tannat. It’s a punchy name that rolls off the tongue. In that respect it’s similar to its other six-letter companion in South America, Malbec, and the two have much in common in terms of stylistic appeal. Uruguay’s Tannat is so often misunderstood to be a synonym for tannic wine. Yet the traditionally tough French variety has relaxed in its South American landscape and become something much more approachable. Could Tannat be set to invade the wine shelves? For sure. There’s plenty to enjoy with supple, drink-me-now, fruit-laden styles, as well as structured I-need-time, more serious approaches. Tannat’s history in Uruguay is relatively short. The grape arrived with Basque settlers in the 1870s, when it was called Harriague. Today most of the original plant material