Tasting

Hold a glass of Tannat from Maldonado up against something white, and you'll barely see through it. Even at the rim, the color stays dark, almost blackish-purple, even in a young vintage. That comes from the thick skin and the five seeds in each berry, together contributing an unusually high amount of pigment and tannin.

On the nose, dark berries come first, blackberry above all, along with plum and sometimes a hint of green pepper. When the wine has been micro-oxygenated, the blackberry note stands out even more clearly, softer and riper than in a hard-fermented, old-school Tannat.

You feel it right away in the mouth. It becomes clear at once where the reputation comes from, since the tannin coats the gums and tongue in a dry, almost grainy layer, while the acidity keeps the wine fresh and lively at the same time. Together, the two keep the wine alive for years. Even though, young, it can seem almost too angular to drink on its own.

Albariño from Maldonado presents the opposite picture. The color is pale yellow with a greenish tinge. On the nose come peach, citrus, and white blossom, along with a fine, almost salty minerality rarely found in wines from further inland.

On the palate, despite the noticeable acidity, it feels almost oily, nearly creamy. That's a contrast many people don't expect from such a fresh wine. The finish lingers, with a salty note that recalls the nearby Atlantic. Red and white from Maldonado are, in that sense, about as different as two wines from the same department can possibly be.