BBQ Redux

Greetings from the new “Chateau Doc”! Sorry I have been away longer than usual. It has been a little busy emptying boxes, deciding where things should go and, the best part, getting new stuff! Starting to settle into a routine, and as we like to say around here, it’s all good.

For our latest excursion, with summer still going strong, I thought I would share two takes on wine made for barbecue. The first is a red most of you have never heard of. The grape is called “Tannat”. It is a hardy varietal that got it start in South-West France, but has since found its home in South America, where it is the “national wine” of Uruguay. The other red wine is more of a household name: if the US is your home, you call it Zinfandel; if you live in Italy, then you know it as Primitivo.

Sorry white wine fans; I promise it is your turn next time!

Let’s get started. Tannat can be a real full-throttle wine, so I thought it would make for a fun comparison, particularly as this is still prime BBQ time. However, instead of traveling from New World to Old World, as we did with Malbec in Don’t Cry for me Argentina, this journey will keep us in the New World: Uruguay vs California; Southern Hemisphere vs Northern!

So what is my latest under-the-radar grape all about? As I just noted, Tannat is a big wine. Tannat’s very thick skin can result in some serious tannins, particularly in the French version of the grape. This makes it one of the highest antioxidant wines you can find (sounds like Sardinia, doesn’t it?). Those skins give it a deep, brooding, purple color.

Tannat can sometimes be blended with other grapes, but today we are going to explore the pure expression of this varietal. In Uruguay, French immigrants from the Basque region brought Tannat vines with them in the late 1800s. It grows easily in a variety of climates, and in Uruguay it has developed a more approachable style.

Map check!

Easy to spot our winery, Bodegas Garzon, #3 on the map. There is a lot going on in this terroir: Garzon is only 11 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, allowing the vines to benefit from a steady ocean breeze. The soil also imparts a signature to Garzon’s wines. The winery sits on what is known as the Crystalline Basement, which produced some of the oldest soils on the planet. The broken down, weathered rocks of this region became a soil known as ballast. The ballast hills have excellent drainage and a variety of minerals are absorbed into the roots of the vines, adding to the character of the wine.

Contestant #1: The 2018 Reserva Tannat from Bodega Garzon. I got this from my usual Heinens store for about $17. Bodega Garzon is Uruguay’s largest exporter of wine, so hopefully you can find it.

Lots of words on that label! What is it telling us? Well, unless you speak Spanish, not much! That is another reason why I chose this wine. If you don’t know anything about Tannat or Garzon, you might never try it.

Garzon is an amazing property. Unlike some of the multi-generational producers we profile, Garzon was only conceived 20 years ago. It is the vision of Argentine billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni, who ultimately acquired almost 600 acres of land and built a 200,000 square foot ultra-modern winery, capable of producing up to 200,000 cases of wine annually. The facility began producing its first vintage in 2016, although the first wines from Garzon land were made offsite beginning in 2012.

Although I don’t often highlight awards and certainly not ratings, it is worth noting that Bodega Garzon was named Wine Enthusiast’s 2018 New World Winery of the Year, for “its vision, quality and ability to reshape a country’s winemaking reputation”.

*Bodega Garzon concrete tanks and oak vats*

Tasting:

True to my comment above, the Garzon Tannat is a deep purple in the glass. The nose exhibits dark fruits, blackberry and plum predominantly, with a touch of licorice and spice. On the palate, that first hit was consistent with the nose: a stewed plum flavor, ripe and full bodied. The black fruit is followed by a spice note, maybe some of that minerality from the soils, and then the tannins kick in (but not overpoweringly so). This wine was fermented in those concrete tanks and then aged 6-12 months in the oak casks.

The Bottom Line:

This is what you want and expect from Tannat: that purple color; the dark fruits complemented by some licorice & spice. The Garzon is juicy, warm and savory. It begs for rich, fatty foods- exactly what BBQs are all about! Try it; I think you’ll like it.

Contestant #2: The 2018 Sonoma Zinfandel from Seghesio. This wine should be easy to find as the Seghesio name is well known as we shall see. About $19 retail.

Zinfandel. We all know this one, right? America’s grape! Well, not exactly. Although once the most planted varietal in California many years ago, it turns out Zin genetically traces back to a grape found in Croatia (I’ll spare you the spelling and pronunciation). It likely was imported to the US in the 1800s.

Unlike our hardy new friend Tannat, Zinfandel is thin-skinned and can have a tendency for uneven ripening. This leads to a higher concentration of sugars, which results in higher alcohol wines.

How about the label? This one is an easier read, in classic California style: we know the grape, who made it and where it comes from.

Note the reference to Sonoma County, as opposed to a wider area (North Coast for example) or a specific vineyard. The grapes used in this wine were sourced from all around Sonoma County.

A closer look at the label and you will see “Seghesio Family Vineyards, since 1895”. Seghesio is one of the oldest, continuously operating wineries in California. Italian immigrant Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vines in the Alexander Valley area of Sonoma 125 years ago, at what is known as the “Home Ranch”.

*Sonoma County - it covers a lot of ground!*

Seghesio was one of only a small number of wineries that survived Prohibition, and slowly grew over the decades by acquiring some of the best acreage in the county. Today, the 5th generation leads the family business, focused on Zinfandel and Italian varietals such as Aglianico and Sangiovese.

Tasting:

In the glass, the Zin is a medium to deep ruby color. Dark fruits and spice dominate the nose. Once you taste the Seghesio Zin, it really blossoms. The initial hit is a rich blend of blueberries, plum and black currants. You then get some classic Zin spice and briar notes, but they do not dominate. The fruit is bright, accentuated by nice acidity. Tannins are surprisingly light.

The Bottom Line:

After 125 years, I think the Seghesios know how to make Zinfandel. Too many Zins are either excessively jammy, or on the other end of the spectrum, can have a strong spice, briar and/or smoke edge to them. The Seghesio Zin sits comfortably in the middle, bold but balanced!

And The Winner Is…

You! With barbecue, its hard to go wrong. Both of these wines are great examples of what to consider for your next backyard grill fest. But it doesn’t stop here. There are many good BBQ wines out there, and we have sampled some in prior posts. If you want to try and pair a little more precisely, consider these guidelines, adapted from our friends at Wine Folly:

Sweeter sauced meat calls for wines such as Tannat, Monastrell or Petite Sirah.
For spicier sauces think Italian: Aglianico; Sangiovese; Montepulciano.
Versatile wines for most any grilled meat include: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc; Carmenere; Malbec; Tempranillo; Shiraz; and of course Zinfandel.

That will do it for now. There is still a nice chunk of summer left, so get out and fire up that grill!

Cheers!

Not your father’s Chardonnay

Live Long and Prosper