Tannat of Rioja — Profile, Food Pairings & Best Wines | Winedexer
Discover the best wines made with Tannat as a single variety or as a blend of Rioja.
Powerful, tannic reds with inky colour and dense texture, with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, black plum, leather, liquorice and smoky notes. Very high ageing potential and polyphenol content (health reputation). Star of Madiran AOC in Béarn and the national grape of Uruguay (Canelones, Maldonado). Also grown in Irouléguy and Tursan. Late-ripening red variety from south-west France.
Star of great Spanish reds: signature Tempranillo, elegant and complex, with notes of ripe cherry, plum, leather, vanilla and tobacco from American oak ageing. Classification by age: fruity Joven, balanced Crianza, ample Reserva, deep, silky Gran Reserva (5 years, 2 in barrel). Some fresh Viura whites and generous rosés. Spain's first DOCa (1991), 3 sub-zones (Alta, Alavesa, Oriental), 93.