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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2014 (based on 7 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 2 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by IlonaN on 5/7/2013 & rated 91 points: Funky earthy aromas on the PnP, evolving over about 30 min. to a succulent array of cooked berries, dark earth and loam. At 12 years of age just hitting it's stride. Sorry I didn't save a bottle for even further aging. (700 views) | | | Tasted by IlonaN on 4/6/2010 & rated 88 points: Almost black in the glass, dense, very dry flavor profile, with tobacco and leather notes, some shy cassis notes as well. Firmly tannic on the finish. Will hold my remaining bottle for more years to see how it evolves. (982 views) |
| Bonny Doon Vineyard Producer website
Bonny Doon was sold in early 2020 to "WarRoom", a wine production and marketing entity formed in 2018. Per a January 2020 Decanter article - https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/californias-bonny-doon-sold-430550/ - "Graham will retain creative control of Bonny Doon’s wines, but production will change from 35,000 cases of 15 different wines annually to just four wines: the flagship red Rhône blend Le Cigare Volant; Le Cigare Blanc (based on Vermentino); Vin Gris de Cigare (a Rhône varietal rosé); and a 100% Picpoul."Tannat Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia
A southern French variety, it's most commonly found in the southwest part of the country near the Pyrenees. Characteristically, it has hard tannins, raspberry aromas, and a fair amount of astringency. Given those tannins, it's successful as the base for French roses, where tannins are minimized by little skin contact. In blends, particularly in California, Tannat adds bite to what might otherwise be flabby or soft wines resulting from overripe grapes.
Wine from the Tannat grape is typically rough and tannic when young, but with aging will mature into a full-bodied red wine. Modern winemaking in France (Madiran appellation) has begun to emphasize the fruit more and utilize barrel aging to help soften the tannins, with the wines typically spending about twenty months in oak prior to bottling.
The Tannat vine was introduced in Uruguay by Basque settlers in the 1870’s and began to flourish as it readily adapted to the local soil and climate. Today it is often blended with Pinot Noir and Merlot, and is made in a variety of styles including those reminiscent of Port and Beaujolais. Although considered Uruguay’s national grape, Tannat is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil and in Italy's Puglia region where it is used as a blending grape.
Tannat wines produced in Uruguay are usually lighter in body and lower in tannins than those from France. In France, efforts to solve the harsh tannic nature of this grape led to the development of the winemaking technique known as micro-oxygenation. Vineyards in Uruguay have begun to distinguish between the "old vines" that are descendants from the original European cuttings and the new clones introduced in the 1990’s. The newer vines tend to produce more powerful wines with higher alcohol levels but less acidity and complex fruit characteristics, although some wineries utilize both vines to make blends.
First brought to the US late in the 19th century by a UC Berkeley agricultural professor, Tannat plantings did not receive much attention until the 1990’s when California producers, most notably in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Paso Robles viticultural areas, began using it in blends with Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Syrah. In 2002, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms formally recognized Tannat as a separate varietal.
In the vineyard, Tannat is one of the easiest varietals to grow, ripening late and being frost hardy. Unlike other varietals, it is not prone to overproduction and so does not require thinning. The grape’s berries have thick skins, which make it resistant to powdery mildew and botrytis, and which contributes to the varietals naturally high tannins. One notable difficulty with growing Tannat is its thick stems, which cling tightly to the berries and can be difficult to remove at harvest.
Tannat has significantly higher polyphenol content than other red grapes, making it the most bioactive variety with regards to oxidative reactions in food. Doctors have recommended Tannat as being the best wine grape for cardiopulmonary health because it contains a large amount of the antioxidant procyanidin, a chemical which helps bolster blood vessels and increase oxygen flow to red blood cells, ultimately helping to avert cardiovascular disease.
Tannat makes decidedly robust wines, with pronounced aromas of tobacco smoke, plum or ripe berries. The wines also tend to be dense purple-red in color, with significant tannins and a wonderfully spicy finish. Notable California producers include Bonny Doon Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Tablas Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comSouthwest France Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Sud Ouest | Les vins du Tarn-et-Garonne on-lineMadiran Vin de Madiran (l'ESAT de Madiran)
The Madiran appellation is where red wines were born to go with magret and confit de canard. Alain Brumont is a master of this deep, dark-fruited, powerfully grippy style, the tannins melding satisfyingly with the fat of the meat. HT: |
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