AnuvaBlog

The wondrous and lovely varietal known as Tannat originated, of course, in France. I say wondrous and lovely because Tannat can be all that, but Tannat can also be a most bitter enemy. A poorly made Tannat, or simply one that has not been left to age for a bit, will attack your mouth with a vengeance, stripping it of all its natural saliva and lubricants, and leaving you unable to utter the word “water”. The most naturally tannic varietal of them all requires you to prepare yourself…

A nice Tannat, though, can truly inspire.

A winemaker like Carlos Muñoz of Las Perdices will take a challenge like Tannat and turn it into a game. I tasted no less than 5 Tannats from the tank not too long ago, and as I attempted to say the word “water”,  I felt privileged to have tasted such unique wines. Carlos uses Tannat to blend and this point but I have begged him to do a pure varietal. A nice aged one that has calmed down and evolved some.

I have tried several other Tannats, 2 of which are candidates at the moment for our next export of wine from Argentina. Both have gone through significant time in oak allowing the berry flavors and aromas to rise to the surface.

Gorgeous to look at, the Argentines jokingly call Tannat “Petroleo”, as its super dark, super concentrated color coats the sides of your glass as you swish it around, praying for it to be kind to you. As it opens, beautiful summer raspberries greet the nose. An obscene mouthful of strawberries and blackberries comes next, with more elegant and round tannins if the wine has been aged properly.

I can’t wait to share one with you.

My first question when I approach a winery to sample their wine for potential purchase is “Do you have a blend?” The tendency to make 100% varietals is all too common especially in the new world. It can actually be quite amusing to see some of these wineries lists of wines they make–extensive, well marketed, different price points–to find that they do not have a single blend or sometimes even bi-varietal.

Take this classic example: a winery will have their varietal chardonnay, viognier, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, syrah, malbec, merlot and cabernet. Not only that but they will have what they do best–say syrah, cabernet and malbec–in reserve and grand reserve levels as well. Theoretically this means higher quality grapes were used but usually just means that more oak was used.  It seems obvious to me that a blend would be a natural, normal, logical progression of such an incredible number of varietals under one roof.

But alas, many wineries have fallen prey to marketing and lack of interest….

It seems to me that the biggest reason that wineries focus on varietals is because of sales and marketing. It is easier for consumers to understand what a merlot is as opposed to a Don Juan or a Cuatro Primos. That would involve turning around the bottle and reading the label to find out what is in it, if the varietals used are even listed. Not only that but it would involve a decision making process where, instead of comparing one varietal wine to the same varietal–ostensibly a direct comparison–one has to compare the types of wine involved as well. All of a sudden the decision making process just got a lot harder. Wineries at times worry about confusing the consumer and therefore stay away from blending.

But what worries me is that blends are simply gorgeous and are what truly represent a winemaker’s talent. It takes a deep knowledge of the characteristics of one’s wine to create a better blended wine than the varietals with which one started. Not to mentions countless hours of experimentation.

So hats off to the winemakers who have faith that the final consumer will want to take that leap and try that complex blend that keeps on giving.

Dearest Readers and Members…

It is my distinct pleasure to inform you that Anuva has just added 10 new wines to its wine store! I guess the logical question is “What do I recommend?” Well, all of them of course! It depends on the occasion. I will only address the next collection of 6 here:

Santos Beck Torrontés, a lively and fresh white from the province of San Juan, will do very nicely when you serve it chilled on these warm summer days coming up.

Naiara Reserva Malbec compliments and hearty dish. It’s robust, concentrated and velvety smooth.

Durigutti Malbec Reserve takes a more fruit forward approach to the Malbec genre but also has great complexity and depth.

Beviam Syrah will begin a bit closed and dry but as it opens will explode with typical syrah characteristics like blackberry and spice.

Occhioverde Merlot, an organic wine (the name means “green eye” in Italian) combines sumptuous herbs like oregano, thyme and rosemary with hints of black and red fruits.

And finally, Callejon del Crimen Petit Verdot from Finca La Luz, an uncommon varietal, gets the award for most unique wine in this group. Minty and chocolaty at the onset with hints of spice and gingerbread, this 12 month oaked varietal is long, supple and full.

We await your comments…