I heart the Tannat, a.k.a. wine touring Uruguay-style

Today I had a unique experience causing me to label the day as the best day of wine touring I've ever had. I've only just begun my wine journey down here so I may say that again next week but for now we'll let it stand.

First I visited the gorgeous property of Bodega Bouza in Montevideo, Uruguay. I started by roaming the vineyards before my tour began. Then Maria walked me around the property and told me about the history and viticulture and viniculture practices at Bouza. I think the most interesting thing I learned is that Bouza uses gravity to transfer the wines from fermentation tank to oak barrel instead of an electric pump. The sorting line and fermentation tanks are on the main level of the winery while the smaller oak barrels are on the lower level, and they run the hoses through a hole in the floor. This method prevents the introduction of air in the transfer process. For my Bouza tasting I was given a selection of 4 wines, as follows with my brief impressions:

*Chardonnay 2008: oaky but well-made with nice acidity and apple on the finish.

*Tempranillo-Tannat 2008: slight petrol funk on the nose with some red berry characteristics and smooth tannins.

*Monte vide eu 2007 Tannat-Merlot-Tempranillo: rose petal nose with some bell pepper character, palate of dark fruit, chocolate, tobacco - my second favorite of the tasting.

*Tannat A6 2007 (single plot): very fragrant nose of blackberry with raspberry chocolate on the palate, jammy with weighty but smooth tannins - my favorite of the tasting.

I continued tasting the wines over a most delicious lunch of spinach ravioli in a cheesy cream sauce - very decadent and quite possibly one of the best meals I've ever had, wines included. Interestingly, both the Chardonnay and Tannat went really well with the dish. The Chardonnay was such a good complement, it reminded me that there is a place in this world for oaky Chardonnay - or at least for Bouza's.

Three hours had passed and it was time for my next and last stop, H. Stagnari. Among the stainless steel tanks Ana told me about their history, viti and vini, and showed me the team of girls inspecting every bottle and hand labeling to perfection. Stagnari and all of Uruguay are very proud of their wine history and national grape Tannat, and I can see why. Tannat could age for 10 years, and it can range in complexity, like most reds, depending on the vinification techniques. For our Stagnari tasting Ana selected 4 wines and actually poured herself a glass and tasted each one with me, so we could talk about them:

*Chardonnay 2009: stainless steel and malolactic fermentation gave this wine a lush pineapple character that I really liked.
*Merlot 2009: very pronounced strawberry nose with smooth chocolate covered strawberry on the palate - quite possibly the best Merlot I've ever had (and a ridiculous $6 a bottle!).

*Tannat Viejo 2007: rose petal and blackberry characteristics with firm but juicy tannins - it may be an oxymoron but these tannins were juicy - made me see Tannat a bit differently because of the unique tannin situation. Ana actually had decanted this the day before and said it shows it best that way. For older Tannats she definitely recommends decanting to allow the wine to breathe and open up.

*Blush 2009: base of Muscat de Alexandria with a bit of Tannat mixed in to cut the sweetness, this had a pronounced honeysuckle aroma and was crisp on the palate - and very yummy with a bit of cheese and maraschino cherry.

So, I now understand how it works down here and why people only book 2 winery appointments per day (and you almost certainly need an appointment). Each visit is a personalized experience where you are encouraged to take your time enjoying the wines and the atmosphere - and I definitely did.