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December 4th, 2009 Tannat Wines: Decanter Magazine Published July Issue, 2009
"Let's get serious: it's time the world got to know more about Uruguay"
The influential English magazine "Decanter" published its July edition with a 12 page insert that includes a detailed discussion of the Uruguayan wine industry, discussed through the eyes of English journalist Margaret Rand. For Rand, what Uruguayan producers have done in the recent years is learned to manage the powerful tannins found iun tannat, Urguay's flagship fine wine grape, resulting in a new era of tannat wines that present "a red wine as red wine should be" in Rand's words.
Decanter is a monthly English magazine on wines and spirits published in over 90 countries, and it is one of the most influential publications on the subject. Among its contents, it has news on the industry, harvest guides and wine recommendations. Since 2004, Decanter magazine has organized and published the "Decanter World Wine Awards", which have come to be respected as one of the most reputable and acclaimed international wine competitions.
Margaret Rand was the former editor of Wine International, Wine & Spirit and Whisky Magazine. She also writes contributions for Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Harpers & Queen, Square Meal and Drinks Business. Ms. Randis also the author of the awarded book "Grapes & Wines".
In the July issue of "Decanter" in a 12 page artcile titled "Let´s get serious", Ms. Rand states that: "With its enviable maritime climate, recognizable mix of grapes, and wines of moderate alcohol and extraction, it's time the world got to know more about Uruguay".
After ironizing about the European ignorance on the existence of Uruguay, surprising by the smallness of its surface, the wideness of the River Plate and the amazing driving skills of car drivers ("take care: they're of Italian and Spanish descent here, and they don't slow down"), Rand is dazzled by the beauty and luxury of Punta del Este and analizes the "national habit" of mate, ("mah-tay", a hot tea that is consumed daily by the overwhelming majority of the population), saying that it doesn't seem to have the deleterious effect on the palate that the addiction to cola does.
Regarding wines, Rand starts encouraging the Uruguayan producers to continue in the line they have adopted, since their wines are not over-ripe, over-alcoholic or over-extracted. In her own words: "What Uruguayan producers have done, in the past 10 years - and especially in the last five - is learn to manage their tannins. The signature grape is Tannat, the grape of Madiran and south-west France. And Tannat has tannin. A lot of it. When Uruguayan wines first appeared in London, about 10 years ago, that tannin was noticeable. The wines clearly had potential: there was good acidity, and lots of bright, appetising fruit, but the tannins, though plump, were a bit rustic. They're not now. Now they're sleek and silky, but the wines are still bright and appetising. They feel light and fresh, but have concentration, too. They're how red wine should be."
More than tannat
Ms. Rand makes an ennumeration of the other varieties that have been cultivated with proficiency and exopertise in Uruguay such as sauvignon blanc, which has also rendered excellent wines that express the varietal in outstanding fashion. Her conclusion is that the maritime climate is their secret weapon - especially in the regions around Montevideo where more than 70% of the vineyards are found. It's humid and not especially hot, with an astonishing clarity of light combined with a fair bit of cloud cover.
The next step
Margaret Rand's rethorical question is "What's the next step for Uruguay?". And this is her answer: "The wineries are modern, but it's in the vineyards where the biggest advances have been made and are likely to continue. Top growers pick and ferment parcel by parcel, and this emphasis on the individual character of different parts of a vineyard will become increasingly refined. The result will be more concentration, depth and complexity in the best wines, though with oak, tannin and alcohol still nicely tucked-in. Balance is Uruguay's best calling card."
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