Review: Bracco Bosca, Ombú, Moscatel

You may have heard of Moscatel, also known as Muscatel, Muscat or Muscat of Alexandria. You may have even tasted one before. But it’s unlikely that you’ve had one like this!

Moscatel, Muscat or whatever you prefer to call it, is typically vinified into a sweet wine. It’s also one of the grapes used to create Sherry, a fortified wine that is usually on the sweeter side.

Fabiana Bracco, winemaker at Bracco Bosca Winery, wanted to do something different with this Moscatel. She wanted to make a dry Moscatel. The results are delicious.

Bracco produced this wine to both recognize the heritage of the region and to do some innovation at the same time. Moscatel may not be the first grape variety to come to mind when you think of Uruguay, which is most known for Tannat, but Moscatel was the first known wine grape to be planted in Uruguay. It was first planted by Jesuit missionaries who came to Uruguay in the early 1700s.

The name of this wine, Ombú, is also nod to the region where the wine is produced. It’s named after the Ombú tree, which is native to Uruguay. These trees often grow in isolation, but the world’s largest forest of Ombú can be found in Rocha, Uruguay.

Tasting Notes

The nose of this wine is super herbal, offering fragrances such as sage, jasmine, wildflowers and oregano along with some lemon and mineral aromas. On the palate it delivers a bright, tart acidity with lemon and saline mineral flavors. It is a fairly lean wine on the palate, which is typical of Moscatel from Uruguay. The mouthfeel is pleasant. It finishes medium-long, with citrus and saline flavors.

Wine: Bracco Bosca, Ombú, Moscatel
Varieties: 100% Moscatel
Vintage: 2022
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 86
Average price: $16
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.