If Uruguay is on your wine radar it may be for its Tannat. The red grape variety was first brought to Uruguay by a Basque immigrant, Pascual Harriague, around 1860. Tannat has adapted perfectly to Uruguay’s soils and growing conditions and is the most widely-planted variety in Uruguay. The other reason Tannat is so popular in Uruguay is that it suits the dining habits of Uruguayans who eat more red meat per-capita than any country in the world. Fun fact: cows outnumber people 4:1 in Uruguay.
White grape plantings are increasing in Uruguay and they include Ugni Blanc (historically used to make brandy), Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Chardonnay and Viognier. Albariño in particular is growing quickly and is a variety to look for. If you think about Uruguay’s coastline though, it makes sense that seafood would be abundant and white wines are a natural pairing. The majority of Uruguay’s population resides in and around coastal Montevideo.
Uruguay’s coastal regions are particularly well suited to white grape varieties due to the Atlantic’s cooling influences. Cool, moist breezes blow inland from the ocean, particularly in summer, and keep temperatures in the 80s with about 39 inches of rain. In contrast, inland temperatures can reach 106 degrees Fahrenheit with annual rainfall of 63 inches.
Near Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, three important flows of water mix. The Rio de la Plata estuary between Argentina and Uruguay receives water from the Uruguay River, which borders the two countries, and Argentina’s Paraná River. This large outflow is met by the cold Malvinas Current’s northward flow from Antartica and the warmer Brazil Current carrying subtropical waters south along Uruguay’s coastline.
In addition to complex oceanic influences, the soils are complex as well with sedimentary rock that has evolved to clay with limestone and calcarious rock around Montevideo. Toward the east soils become volcanic and there is a remnant of the ancient supercontinent Pangea with areas of decomposed granite. Below is a map of Uruguay’s wine regions. Click on the Uruguay Wine link to view the interactive map.
Joshua Green, Editor and Publisher of Wine & Spirits, shared the above details and background on each winery in a presentation accompanied by a tasting of the following six wines. We received these wines as tasting samples.
2023 Los Cerros de San Juan Familie Lahusen Riesling, Colonia, Uruguay — light golden with aromas of petrol, gravelly rock and stone fruit. Flavors include citrus pith, stone fruit, stony minerality supported by mouthwatering acidity. 12.3% ABV. SRP $25
The Lahusen family founded Los Cerros de San Juan in 1854 and it is located northwest of Montevideo, five miles from the Rio de la Plata and one mile from the Rio San Juan, in the Colonia region. The Lahusen family is originally from Germany and first imported and planted Riesling in the 1950s. The vines for this wine were planted in 1999. Riesling represents a very small planting in Uruguay, only about 10 acres. This wine was fermented in Italian amphorae, unique for Riesling regardless of where it’s planted.
2023 Viña Progreso Overground Viognier, Progresso, Canelones, Uruguay — light yellow with aromas of struck match, under ripe melon and dusty gravel. Flavors include citrus, citrus pith and vague herbal notes with abundant acidity. 12.5% ABV. SRP $26
Next, we move to Canelones near the village of Progreso for a taste of Viognier from a personal project of Gabriel Pisano, Viña Progreso. He is the fifth generation of his family to make wine in Uruguay. His father and uncles run the well-established Pisano wines. Gabriel sources grapes from four growers in addition to Pisano’s estate vineyards to craft experimental wines at Viña Progreso.
Viognier is planted in small plots around Progreso in very high-density, low-yield vineyards about 15 miles from the ocean. Vine age ranges from 10 to 20 years and wine making takes place in stainless steel. The goal of this project is to reflect the local terroir of Progreso.
2024 Familia Traversa Sauvignon Blanc, Montevideo, Uruguay — very light yellow with aromas of pineapple, peaches and tropical fruit. Flavors are not as complex as the aromas and include cut grass, oat hay, citrus and stony minerality with juicy acidity. 13.5% ABV. SRP $16
Familia Traversa is a relatively large, modern winery that began with Carlos Traversa’s 12-acre purchase near Montevideo in 1937. The family now farms 750 acres in Montevideo and Canelones and sources grapes from 100 growers.
Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from 20-year-old vines planted in clay limestone soils with high concentrations of calcium carbonate. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and did not go through malolactic fermentation. After Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc is the most-planted white grape variety in Uruguay.
2024 Bouza Albariño, Uruguay — medium yellow with generous aromas of peaches and flowers. Flavors include peach and pineapple, stony minerality and juicy acidity with bit of roundness and a hint of toast. 12.5% ABV. SRP $28
The Bouza family came from Galicia to Uruguay in the 1960s and established themselves in the food industry before purchasing a vineyard in Las Violetas (Canelones) in 1998. Given the family’s roots in Galicia, it is natural that they were the first to import Albariño, a variety widely grown in their ancestral homeland. The family now farm 124 acres in four vineyard sites.
Albariño vines vary in age from 16 to 23 years and are planted in calcareous lime and clay soils. A portion of the grapes macerate for four hours before fermentation. After inoculation, 90% fermented in stainless steel and 10% in second-use oak barrels with 4 months on the lees. The wine does not go through malolactic fermentation and is not fined or filtered.
2024 Familia Deicas Atlántico Sur Albariño, Uruguay — medium yellow with aromas of flowers and citrus. Flavors include white flowers and peaches with citrusy acidity and lingering citrus pith. 12.5% ABV. SRP $20
In 1979 Juan Carlos Deicas purchased an historic property established as a ranch by the Jesuits in the 1740s. Winemaking on the estate began in the 1830s and the wine cellar was established.
Today, Establecimiento Juanicó’s historic buildings remain, winemaking has been modernized and the vineyards have been renovated (interestingly, some original rootstock remains according to Joshua, but they have been grafted to new vine cuttings). Santiago Deicas is the third-generation winemaker. In addition to the estate in Juanicó Familia Deicas also has vineyards in Maldonado.
Albariño for the Atlántico Sur wine is sourced from estate vineyards primarily in Canelones (80% Juanicó) and Maldonado (Sierras de Garzón). Soils are clay-limestone (Juanicó) and decomposed granite (Maldonado). Small plots are harvested and vinified at varying levels of ripeness with fermentation in stainless steel. Vines are about 10 years old.
2023 Bodega Garzón Single Vineyard Albariño, Uruguay — light golden with generous floral aromas and some delicate herbal notes. Flavors include flowers and hints of pineapple with citrusy, juicy acidity and a bit of roundness. 14% ABV. SRP $35
Bodega Garzón has to be Uruguay’s most impressive winery with its dramatic hilltop location and ocean views in the distance. The 2500-acre property outside Garzòn in the Maldonado region was purchased by Argentine businessman Alejandro Bulgheroni to establish a wind farm, according to Joshua, but Bulgheroni’s wife thought the property was too beautiful for that use. Local farmers suggested vines could be planted and in consultation with Antonio Antonini, Bulgheroni established the vineyard and winery. German Bruzzone is the winemaker. About one-fourth of the property is now planted with vines.
Garzón’s Albariño is also a massal selection that originated in Galicia and was imported through a French nursery just as with the Bouza family’s Albariño, but later. About 100 acres are planted to Albariño.
Soils here are decomposed granite, that remnant of Pangea, called Balasto. The winery calls the soil the oldest granite on the planet! The vines are about 15 years old for this single-vineyard wine. The vineyard planting began in about 2008 and the winery was built in 2009.
The grapes macerated for four to six hours before pressing and fermentation in cement tanks without malolactic fermentation. This is one of three Albariños made by Garzón.
Joshua observed that he’s very excited by the fresh, Atlantic wines being made in Uruguay — especially Albariño. Albariño is well suited to the humid growing conditions in Uruguay and much like Tannat has become Uruguay’s flagship red, Albariño may become the country’s flagship white wine. There is a fair bit of coastline in Uruguay and the seafood is quite good by his description. Albariño is a natural pairing with seafood.
The other observation Joshua made about white wines in general, and the last three wines in particular, is that they benefit from decanting — don’t rush these wine, give them time to develop.
Thanks to Joshua for the interesting presentation and to Creative Palate Communications for organizing our tasting.
Cheers!
