2002 Bodegas Carrau Tannat Amat ($$) is a soft tannin, limited run wine from Uruguay. The Tannat grape is generally fruit heavy and leathery, and it's wines are usually ripened on wood for a long time or require microoxygenation to speed up its "taming process". The Carrau family hand picks the best of their grapes for the "Amat", which is named for Don Francisco Carrau Amat -- a master of red varietals from the early 1700's.
This wine is juicy and fruit heavy (plums) with a vanilla finish. The wine is aged in French and American oak which adds a coconut feel to the vanilla.
This translates to a wine that will satisfy both fruit-lovers and fruit-avoiders.
This wine will accompany many foods, but enjoys being in the presence of spicy Latin food.
The wine gets hard to find at times, but is almost always on the wine list at Barcelona.
1 comment:
Hey M, I just enjoyed a bottle of this stuff a few weeks ago! What a treat.
Bodegas Carrau "Amat" Tannat 02', Uruguay
Appearance: Very deep reds and purples, like blood in a glass.
Frontal Aromas: Slightly hot, overripe strawberries and sour cherry with a delicate lace of vanilla/oak.
Taste, Notes: luscious mix of concentrated dark cherry, with some tannins cloaked by oak.
Mouthfeel: Powerful, but surprisingly smooth. Tannins are tamed, yet not lost.
Finish: Plum flesh, vanilla. For such a "hot" wine, (high alcohol), the length of finish is a tribute to the skill of the winemakers.
Opinion/Comments: "Blood-red, smooth and delicious." A bold wine of great body, yet one that does not ring of overextraction nor of haphazard oaking. The delicate lace of oak brings a smooth, tasty appeal to this primal red.
Cheers,
S
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