Pueblo del Sol, Juanico Region (Uruguay) Tannat 2010

The next big thing in red wine should be Tannat from Uruguay, but it probably won’t, due to the two facts that Uruguay is a small country populated by smart people who drink most of their Tannat before it can get exported.  This noble grape, originally from southwestern France, is much more generous and endearing in Uruguay (just as Malbec has proved far more successful in Argentina than in Bordeaux).  This remarkably affordable rendition shows ripe, robust blackberry fruit with enough tannic grip to work beautifully with grilled meat dishes, yet the tannins are fine-grained and fully ripe, so this can also work well as a stand-alone sipper.  Impressive!