2020 Pizzorno VueltAlmundo Tannat – Cabernet Franc

The second-smallest South American country, Uruguay is dwarfed by its neighbours, Argentina and Brazil but is has a proudly different wine scene.  The enormous influx of Spanish and Italian immigrants since the 1850s, all bringing their own grapevines with them, made this new nation a viticultural petri dish. Tannat which was found to thrive in the humid Uruguan conditions became the dominant grape variety.  Its deep colour, high acidity, feisty tannins, and rich aromas cemented its popularity.  It also contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants in any wine.  The heart of Uruguay’s wine production, with more than two-thirds of the country’s vineyards, is Canelones. It is a large province that includes the capital city of Montevideo.

Pizzorno is a family winery in Canelones, now run by the third and fourth generations who have cultivated their family plots for more than a century and passed down their knowledge in the cellar and vineyard.  The vineyards are managed in a sustainable manner and Pizzorno doesn’t use fertilizers in the soils. All the grapes are hand-harvested and the winemakers carefully choose the harvest date based on sensorial and chemical analysis of the grapes.

“Two Farms – Two Generations” VueltAlmundo is a project carried out by two generations in charge of the winery. Together they seek to express in a bottle of wine what they experience as a family of enologists where the tradition and experience of the third generation are combined with the energy, dreams and ambitions of the younger generation.

The wine is an unusual blend of grape varieties, with little oak, that works so well.  It has an intense cherry colour with violet edges. The nose has notes of raspberry and crunchy red fruits. The palate is light, fresh and balanced with moderate tannins and a long finish.