Written by Dr. Alvaro Evia MD
Like the majority of most noble grapes used in the production of fine wines worldwide, the Tannat wine grape originated in France.
Today, Tannat is considered Uruguay’s national grape, and Uruguay is a unique place on earth with such terroir and a micro climate that offers the best possible conditions for Tannat to grow and flourish, imparting its great potential and remarkable personality with each harvest.
It is a combination of the country’s characteristic climate and soil compositions, and even the proximity of rivers and the ocean, that create a perfect natural setting for fine wine grapes to grow with such unique character and identity, rendering Tannats and other varietal wines unlike those enjoyed elsewhere around the globe.
The Tannat grape has a high content of tannins in its skin as well as in its pulp and seeds. Tannins make wines astringent and acidic, and may confer upon them incomparable body and structure.
Upon mastering this hearty, complex verve, and by applying the best oenological practices and proper aging, Tannat wine grapes can yield bold and incredibly dense wines. The very best of these wines will be found to be complex, silky and sophisticated. The aromas of mature red and black fruits will last even after a long aging period.
These are ideal wines for pairing with fatty foods, all types of beef and pork and with many different combinations and cooking methods. Filled pasta with spicy sauces, cheeses like Camembert or Parmesan, blue cheeses, prosciutto, and other strong tasting dishes that do not harmonize with lighter wines, red or white, will not overpower Tannat and can therefore be paired together without fear or reservation.
Due to their great ductility and firmness, wines of great lineage are usually obtained by blending Tannat grape with other vines like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, though combinations with other varietals such as Merlot, Temperanillo and Cabernet Franc are also very interesting.
Tannats can yield fine wines that are undoubtedly wines with a great ability to age well. Aging is recommended, like for all other varieties, in cool, damp environments, (not over 15° - 16 °C), not exposed to sunlight, in bottles stored with an inclination to enable the contact of wine with the cork and away from aromas that might alter the wine’s maturing process.
Young Tannat wines should be served at a temperature of 16° to 18°; older soldiers at 20° to 21°. The suggested decanting of wines relates to the period of aging, though in this type of wines a decanting period of at least one hour is ideal.
Polyphenols are abundantly present in the skin of the Tannat grape, along with anthocyanins, (bluish red pigments that protect the fruit from UV light).
Among them is resveratrol, a natural antibiotic that has been suggested to have a significant antioxidant effect on humans and plays an important role in inhibiting or preventing the development of fungi and bacteria. Tannat wines contain high concentration levels of these anti oxidant properties.
Other polyphenols are found in Tannat seeds, in large quantities, and in the fruit’s pulp as well but to a lesser extent.
High concentrations of tannins and color donors in this wine grape confer the varietal a great coloring capacity, along with their strong antioxidant effects.
According to comparative scientific studies by prestigious research centers, this characteristic is noticeably more significant in Tannat than in other red grapes, with its anti oxidant effects comparable to that of specific other fruits such as blueberries and acai berries, both of which have recently been labeled as "superfoods" with extraordinarily high levels of anti oxidant properties.
The complicity found in great Tannat wines, among specific characteristics associated with taste, body and structure and properties proven beneficial to health, continue to turn these spirits into a special subject within the worlds of wine enthusiasts and gourmet lovers around the world.
Cheers!
Dr. Alvaro Evia, MD
Dr. Alvaro Evia is a physician who practices Gastroenterology and Endoscopic medicine at the National Cancer Institute and the Clinic of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, both in Montevideo, Uruguay. Dr. Evia is a graduate of the University of the Republic of Uruguay and the university’s acclaimed Center of Gastroenterology and holds a Doctorate in Endoscopy from the University of Kiel in Kiel, Germany.