Tannat the variety originates from the south west of France in the region of Madiran, part of historical Basque territory. Typically it is blended with Cabernet Franc in the wines labelledMadiran. More recently it has become the preferred grape for the country of Uruguay and has gained international acclaim. Our Estate vineyards added Tannat as a variety in 2012. Block 1N consists of 5 acres of vines planted on 10’ x 5’ spacings utilising simple vertical shoot positioning (VSP) for canopy management. It is a prolific growing variety and we strive to keep yields below 4 tons/acre to ensure depth and concentration of flavours. The 2019 vintage provided the right conditions to meet our expectations. The resulting wine was harvested quite ripe at 26 Brix and the ferment was conducted at a cool60F. This ensures the more delicate aromas and flavours persist. It only spent 6 months in second use French oak barriques to add supporting texture rather than dominate the wine.