Bouza Tannat

Although Tannat is a red grape that has historically been grown in the southwest of France, it is now one of Uruguay’s most emblematic varieties. One of those responsible for this expansion was Pascual Harriague, a Basque immigrant who in 1870 saw wine production as a business opportunity and planted several different varieties in search of the one best suited to Uruguay’s soil and climate. This is when the locals went crazy for Tannat and in less than a decade it became the ubiquitous variety. One winery that has managed to achieve its maximum expression is Bouza, a family project that began in 1999 in the Metropolitan area of Montevideo and, following a philosophy of working on a small scale to get better results, they have established themselves as one of the top vineyards in the world.

Their Bouza Tannat is a single-variety Tannat from vineyards located in Las Violetas (Canelones) and Melilla(Montevideo). The vines are planted on clayey-loam soil with a high percentage of limestone and are cultivated using respectful agriculture and a manual harvest at the optimum point of ripeness. Once they reach the winery, the grapes ferment at 26ºC in stainless steel tanks, concrete and oak vats. Finally, the wine is aged in French and American oak barrels for 16 months.

Fine, flavoursome and lingering, Bouza Tannat has everything a fine New World wine should have. The perfect Tannat to get acquainted with the personality and character of Uruguayan wines.