Alto de la Ballena, Tannat Viognier

A wine blend you may have come across at some point in your life is Syrah-Viognier. It may not seem intuitive to add a white wine with intense, perfume-like aromas (i.e., Viognier) to a full-bodied red wine with concentrated dark fruit, spice and tannic characteristics (i.e., Syrah), but it works… really well. The Viognier, which is typically no more than 15-20% of the blend, amplifies the flavors of the Syrah, adds complexity, adds to the aromatics and improves the mouthfeel. This blend originated in the French Rhone wine region of Côte-Rôtie and has spread to other regions from there.

Given how well this blend works, why limit its use to Syrah? Why not try blending Viognier with other full-bodied red wines, like Tannat? That’s exactly what Alto de la Ballena did with this wine.

Consistent with how Syrah-Viognier wines from Côte-Rôtie are produced, this Tannat-Viognier was co-fermented, meaning the Tannat and Viognier grapes were combined prior to fermenting. That’s not always the case with blends. Many wines are fermented as varietal wines and then blended together afterwards to create the final product.

This blend isn’t the only thing unique about Alto de la Ballena. Their vineyards are located on the slopes of Sierra de la Ballena (which translates to mean “Whale Hills”). This location features a rocky hillside with a maritime-influenced climate, with the Atlantic Ocean just nine miles away. It’s a unique terroir for Uruguay.

Tasting Notes

Exotic spices are the headline for this wine. The nose is brimming with baking spices, vanilla, black pepper, black currant and cherry aromas. It is pure deliciousness on the palate, offering concentrated blackberry, cherry, black currant and baking spice flavors. The acidity is vibrant and the mouthfeel velvety, making the flavors stand out all that much more. The finish is crazy long, with blackberry and spice flavors lingering for minutes.

Wine: Alto de la Ballena, Tannat Viognier
Varieties: 85% Tannat, 15% Viognier
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 93
Average price: $24
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.