Midalidare’s Grape Varieties: Tannat – The variety and the terroirs

The variety

Tannat contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants in any wine. Its high levels of color and tannin make it appear opaque ruby in the glass. Tannat is used to make colorful, highly tannic, lively wines, with a clearly acidic character. These dual qualities enable Tannat to make high quality red wines that are well structured and can be aged in the cellar for many years.

A moderately late variety, Tannat can be recognized by its young leaves, which are reddish with bronze patches. Its adult leaves, however, are dark green. At the tips of Tannat's young shoots, there is a dense coat of flat-lying hairs. The leaf blades have three or five lobes, with an elongated central lobe, and a slightly open or closed petiolar sinus. The lobes have teeth that are short with rectilinear sides, and the veins have a moderate amount of anthocyanic pigmentation. The surface of the leaf blade is revolute, bubbled, and sometimes wavy between the main veins. Its lower surface has a moderately dense cover of flat-lying hairs. The bunches are large while the berries are small to medium in size. 

The terroirs

Tannat grows mostly in South-West France (Madiran) with growing popularity in Uruguay. Other main growing areas include Argentina (Salta), USA (Oregon), South Africa, Brazil.

Tannat, which is highly susceptible to drought, needs soils that can retain water but are nonetheless well drained. Clay-limestone soils thus perfectly meet its needs.

Tannat is a variety that needs regular watering; it does not fare well in dry weather. Due to its late ripening, however, it requires rather sunny autumns. Its susceptibility to gray mold also requires little rainfall in the later season, as is the case in the southern Aquitaine region.

This grape variety from Gascony is a mainstay in the vineyards of its region of origin, the Basque Country, as well as Béarn, southern Landes and Gers. It has been adopted by foreign wine growers, namely in South America. In France, production decreased very slightly in the 1980s, but has since been on the rise.

Uruguay lies in the same latitude range as Argentina, South Africa, and Australia, so it’s not surprising that Uruguay is able to make good, if not excellent wines. Today, Tannat is Uruguay’s most planted varietal and accounts for almost 30% of all wines produced.

Tannat’s success in Uruguay is due to the region’s temperate climate, with warm summers and mild winters. The weather, humidity, and quick-draining limestone soil allow Tannat to ripen fully and develop those signature dark fruit flavors.

In Mogilovo, Tanat is planted in the northernmost areas of the Karaliets vineyard, in the higher part of the hollow, at 300 meters above sea level. The soils are alluvial, medium to low sandy, with a high clay content. The climate is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The rate of annual rainfall in the area is about 550 mm, the average winter temperature is above 0ºС. The combination of climatic and soil conditions is a prerequisite for the excellent development of Tanat.