Garzon Albarino

Pale yellow with a green hue, this Albariño is intense on the nose with peach and citrus aromas. The freshness and minerality on the mid-palate is superb, ably supported by a remarkable acidity which frames the juicy fruit on the crisp finish.

A relatively mild winter brought forward bud break by about two weeks. There were average levels of rainfall in spring and early summer, however the drought which followed in January caused a severe water shortage. Therefore the viticultural team used drip irrigation, thus ensuring perfect maturation in the grapes. Despite the water shortage and subsequent irrigation measures, veraison was uniform. Optimum maturation was also aided by the cooler nights which are becoming more common in the region. The wines from this vintage, with its early start and generally favourable climatic conditions, are elegant and fruit forward.

Only 11 miles from the Atlantic coast, in one of the most picturesque parts of Uruguay, lies Bodega Garzon.

Its land is split equally between vineyards and olive groves and the stunning views prompted consultant winemaker, Albert Antonini, to liken the region to his native Tuscany.

Despite the similarities in geography to Italy, the vineyards lie on the same latitude as New Zealand. This means cool climate styles are the most prominent and, unusually for South America,

Garzon’s focus is on Tannat and Albarino. The winery itself was designed with energy efficiency in mind. Solar panels generate up to 40% of energy requirements, whilst the use of gravity wherever possible minimises emissions.

Tannat is normally found in the Basque-influenced regions of France near the Pyrénées especially in the Madiran appellation. http://bodegagarzon.com/

Garzon Tannat is notable for its inky colour and very high tannin levels and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Fer to soften the astringency and make it more approachable.

Basque settlers took Tannat with them to Uruguay in the 19th century and the variety flourished to become the red grape of Uruguay.

The Tannat wines produced here are characterized by more elegant and softer tannins and blackberry fruit notes compared to French Tannats.

Vineyards in Uruguay have begun to distinguish between the "old vines" that are descendants from the original cuttings brought over from Europe and the new clones being produced today.

The newer vines tend to produce more powerful wines with higher alcohol levels but less acidity and complex fruit characteristics.

Garzon Albarino - Hay Wines

Collection: Uruguay

Garzon Albarino 2024

Pisano RPF Tannat 2018