Angeleno Wine Co Alonso Family Vineyard Tannat 2019
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Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Tannat was harvested at 23.5 Brix in early October. The fruit was all partially destemmed with 20% whole cluster and let to ferment naturally with indigenous yeasts. After a couple week maceration the wine was pressed at dryness and went through malolactic fermentation naturally in neutral oak barrels.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, moss and red licorice. Full-bodied with soft tannins. Very steady on the palate with well ripened, dark fruit.
With a focus on unique varietals, Angeleno Wine Co aims to push the boundaries of what Southern California wine growing can be. Our pride and joy is a small vineyard about an hour north of Los Angeles outside a little town called Agua Dulce. It is farmed by Juan Alonso, a visionary who planted an array of lesser known Spanish grape varietals from his native Galicia. We only work with vineyards that farm sustainably and we source our grapes from land that is special for different reasons. Tannat, Graciano, Godello, Loureiro, and Treixadura are some of the unique varietals that Angeleno makes into wine every year. We harvest early to preserve natural acidity in the fruit. We strive to make wines that are elegant, balanced and that express Los Angeles' unique character: a growing region where the desert meets the sea.
Named for its naturally high level of tannins, Tannat is a brooding, rustic, dark red wine that sees its origin in the Madiran region of France. Similar to Malbec’s journey to Argentina from France, Tannat made a similar move in the early 19th century but landed in Uruguay in the hands of Basque settlers. Today Tannat thrives in its warm South American climate, producing a bold, black fruit driven red. Somm Secret—Uruguay producers have the freedom to blend firm Tannat with any other grape whereas Madiran law restricts Tannat’s blending grapes to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and the indigenous grape, Fer.