Tannat wine story

July 20, 2011

Philippines Wine Shop Clark Wine Center is pleased to share with you articles, news and information about wine, wine events, wine tasting and other topics related to wine and the appreciation of wine.

Tannat Wine

Tannat Wine Story

The story of Tannat is very similar to that of Malbec, having been transported across the seas from Southern France in the late 1800’s by French Basques. Malbec became Argentina’s national wine grape and is identified as the grape that produces Argentina’s best and finest wines of authentic origin. (Read More Tannat wine history)
Enter the noble Tannat: the varietal was carried by French Basques to the fertile plains of Uruguay and first planted there in the 1870’s, where it adapted perfectly to the local soil and ideal climate. The terroir is exceptional for the farming of fine wine grapes.

Tannat wines originated in an area known as the Madiran, which lies at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in southwestern France. These bold, hearty red wines continue to be made in the Basque country, most notably in the tiny appellation of Irouléguy, along the Spanish border.

Tannat wines have been made in that region since the 17th century, when French kings accepted Madiran wines as payment for taxes.

The noble Tannat has since become the fine wine grape that symbolizes the nation of Uruguay. It’s interesting to note that more Tannat wine is made in Uruguay than in the varietal’s area of origin in France. Tannat plantings account for approximately one third of all vineyards that are found in Uruguay. Therefore, it can be said that Tannat wines are the Uruguayan wine of choice.

The Tannat vitis vinifera (fine wine grape), is also known in some places by other names such as Moustrou, Madiran, Harriague and Bordeleza. The Tannat varietal is, typically, a late ripening varietal that is very suitable for growing in areas where the climatic cycle is warmer than temperature ranges that are preferred for more fragile grapes such as Riesling or Pinot Noir. (Read More about Tannat Wine Terrior)

Exceptional levels of phenolic compounds are found in the Tannat Varietal, most always in levels that are significantly higher than other red wines. This is due to the fact that tannins come from the skins and seeds of the grapes when crushed. The reason for the high concentration of these properties in Tannat wines are that the Tannat grape contains 5 pips, (seeds), while all of the other fine wine grapes normally contain just 2 or 3, thus the source of the high concentrations of polyphenols, procyanidins, flavenoids and resveratrol. These are the four primary antioxidant components found in all wines, and there is a mountain of evidence that these anti oxidant are are found in their greatest concentrations in Tannat wines.

According to Dr. Roger Corder, acclaimed author of the book, The Red Wine Diet, (quote: “A glass of [decent Tannat wine] can often have 3 to 4 times more procyanidins than some cheap wines, and in some cases the difference may be 20 fold… If the consumer could readily identify these, then a more informed choice could be made when buying wine. I plan to put some effort into doing this over the next few years.”

Other studies reflect similar theories about the health benefits of Tannat wine and red wines in general, causing some doctors to put the words “wine heart health” in the same sentence. (Read More – Tannat Wine & Health)

While there is research that suggests that Tannat wines may offer greater health benefits than others and that the moderate consumption of Tannat wine may contribute to better health, we are required to state that these statements are made by the researchers and are not claims made by GMS of Kentucky, Inc, the owners of the TanTerra brand family of wines.

We love Tannat wine for its unique taste profile; its dark concentrated color and the intense complexity that it exudes are just two reasons why we believe that TanTerra offers some of the best and greatest expressions of Tannat wine. We hope you do as well.

Source: http://www.tanterrawines.com/the-brand/tannat-wine

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

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