Before a handful of years ago, I could count on that same hands the number of Tannats that I had tried in my life and all (all but one) of those I had tasted with the person that I still consider my wine mentor.

He was (he died a couple of years ago) a Francophile through and through and loved just about every wine made in the country. And that included Madiran, a town in Southwest France, kind of in the middle of nowhere, that produces an eponymous wine. Made from Tannat.

Traditionally, it would take a good 10 (or more likely 20) years for Madiran to become even remotely drinkable as Tannat is a thick skinned, rather harsh grape, that results in a tannic, acidic wine that really is close to toxic upon release.

That is why, when I hear “Tannat” I usually take a hard pass.

But.

A little over a year ago, I was introduced to many wines from Uruguay, a country many people may have heard of, but few could locate on a map (see my posts Finding Uruguay and Finding Uruguay, Again). A funny thing happened while tasting those wines: I loved them. They were not the tannic monsters of Southwest France. No, they were fruity, lithe, even refreshing, at times, enough for me to question if they were, indeed, Tannt.

They were.

Thus, this past Spring, I was delighted to receive another handful of wines from the South American country. My excitement was merited as they were largely fantastic and while not world-beaters, they sure should win a Wednesday night.

2022 Don Pascual Tannat Coastal, Juanico, Canelones, Uruguay: Retail $18. Very Responsible Bottle (427g; 15oz). I do not drink a ton of Tannat, but then most of the Tannat I have tried did not taste like this. This is simply a bottle of fun: dark berry fruit and vanilla on the nose with a modicum of earth. The palate follows suit with a ton of fruit up front (but by no means a fruit bomb) with a zingy acidity and a touch of spice. No, this is not an epiphany type of wine, this is an everyday drinker (that likely goes for under fifteen bucks) that is just fun and worry-free. Very Good. 88 Points.

2023 Bodegas Cerro Chapeu Castel Pujol Folklore Tinto, Rivera, Uruguay: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (404g; 14.2oz). 80% Tannat, 20% Petit Menseng. While it is true that I do not drink a ton of Tannat, I drink even fewer wines that blend Tannat with Petit Menseng. This was the second wine of five in my Uruguayan Tannat little wine fest and this fell in line with the first. This wine is more red fruit than black, and that fruit certainly rules the nose, mostly red berry and some plum. Add in some black pepper and a spice element (clove?) and we are ready for the palate. Plenty of tartness along with all that fruit, this is another fun wine that will please a lot of palates. Very Good. 88 Points.

2020 Montes Toscanini Tannat Gran Tannat Premium, Las Piedras, Uruguay: Retail $45. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (875g; 30.9oz). 100% Tannat. Another bottle that makes absolutely no sense. As for the wine? Fairly dark in the glass, which tracks with Tannat and nice dark fruit aromas of blackberry and plum along with vanilla and a hint of oak. The palate, along with the aforementioned fruit, has a rather intense mocha note, which seems to work well with all that fruit. The palate, however, really highlight the acidity as it is more than plentiful and does a very nice job of holding all together. Excellent. 91 Points.

2020 Bodega Bouza Tannat, Las Violetas, Canelones, Uruguay: Retail $27. Extremely Responsible Bottle (395g; 13.9oz). 100% Tannat. Under cork. Rich red and black fruit dominate the nose, mostly blackberry, red currant, and plum, with some black earth and spice (black pepper, cumin). The palate is even richer than I expected with really luscious fruit. It is far from a one trick pony, however, with weight, depth, great tartness, and a boatload of spice, particularly on the mid-palate. The finish hints of some tannins, but they are quite silky and well-integrated. This likely has a bit of life ahead of it, but why wait? It really is fantastic now. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2020 Viña Progreso Tannat Revolution, Uruguay: Retail $20. Responsible Bottle (550g; 19.4oz). Agglomerated stopper. 100% Tannat. This was the last bottle of a handful of wines from Uruguay and I have to say I was a bit smitten here. Great fruit, a zingy acidity, and more than a smidge of chutzpah. On top of all of that? It retails for twenty bucks which means if you can actually find it? It is likely in the $16-18 range. Killer. Pizza? Pasta? Texas BBQ? Bring it. This is a weekend wine at an every day price. Excellent. 90 Points.