2022 Bodega Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat Maldonado Uruguay 750 ml

Lovers of bold red wines: Tannat deserves your undivided attention. Full-bodied with powerful tannins, opulent fruit, and refreshing acidity, it can be both immediately approachable and ridiculously ageworthy. Uruguay has built its surging reputation on this variety, and the country is producing some of the world’s best expressions. 

And in that landscape of enchanting reds, no one does it like Bodega Garzón. 

They’re Uruguay’s most prominent winery—once named “New World Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast—and their 2022 Single Vineyard Tannat exhibits everything that makes the variety irresistible. It’s bold and brooding, with layers of black fruit, dark cocoa, and espresso wrapped in firm tannins. Minerality and fresh acidity bring lift and balance, carrying everything to a long and resonant finish. 

Tannat originated in France’s Southwest, but, like Malbec in Argentina, it’s reached greater heights in Uruguay than it has in Europe. It’s the nation’s most widely grown grape, and few places are better suited to it than Garzón’s coastal vineyards. On these granitic hillside soils, Garzón has planted 1,000 tiny vineyard blocks—a patchwork tailored to the hilly landscape’s various exposures, elevations, and microclimates. Eleven miles from the ocean, breezes refresh the sun-drenched vines, preserving acidity while the grapes ripen slowly. 

In both the vineyard and cellar, Garzón is fanatical about quality. Enologist Alberto Antonini, whom Decanter ranked as a top-five winemaker in the world, supervises the winemaking. Fermentation takes place in large concrete tanks to enhance fruit purity, with 12–18 months of aging on lees in French oak to give the wine polish and sophistication.

For anyone unfamiliar with Tannat, there’s no better place to start. And for anyone who’s already a fan, prepare for a shining star of the variety.