Australian Wine from
Alternative Grape Varieties

Tannat varietal wines

Tannat is a red wine variety is attracting some interest in Australia where it seems destined to be used for red wines intended for extended aging, or to lend its intense colour and astringency to dry red blends.

It is a late ripening variety and is thus suitable for warmer areas. If you think that Merlot is a mnemonic for "mellow" then you can add "Tannat = Tannic" to your memory bank. Some synonyms for this variety are Moustrou, Madiran, Harriague, Bordeleza

Order this book and read why Tannat is good for your heart

Tannat's homeland is the South Western area of France, and one of its synonyms, Madiran, is also the name of an important appellation in that part of the world. Tannat is also popular in beef-eating Uruguay under the name of Harriague.

Wines from this variety are notable for their very high levels of tannin. Careful winemaking or blending with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Fer can make these wines more approachable.

Tannat varietal wines wines are also very high in polyphenols. These are the good chemicals in wine that keep your heart healthy. The wines are highly recommended by researcher Roger Corder who has recently written the highly acclaimed book The Red Wine Diet.

In a recent review in the UK Guardian, Malcolm Smith writes

South-west France stands out as the place to be if you want to live a long life. In spite of a diet rich in saturated fats from foie gras, cassoulet and copious cheeses, parts of this region have double the French average of men aged 90-plus. Corder puts it down to the local red wines, exemplified by the gutsy Madiran.

Sounds like excellent advice to me.

You can put Tannat down as a dry red wine to try in winter with meaty dishes, beef stews and cassoulets or with mature cheese. The body, acid and tannins may overwhelm lighter styles of foods. It is still early days yet, but it seems that Tannat has a future both as a blending variety and for making straight varietal wines in Australia.

Bioreann in Queensland's Granite Belt make an excellent straight Tannat, albeit in small quantities. Pepper Tree Wines in the Hunter Valley make a Grand Reserve Tannat which sells with an impressive price tag, if you really want to go upmarket.

Some Australian Producers