2016 Tannat Single Vineyard Garzón Uruguay Bodega Garzón

The 2016 Tannat Single Vineyard (which is a step up in the lineup compared to the Reserva) was aged for 12 to 18 months in French wood (mostly in untoasted 5,000-liter casks). It comes in at 14.7% alcohol. This has a far lusher and riper demeanor than the Reserva this issue, but I sort of miss the finesse and elegance of the Reserva. Still, while this shows the effects of extended wood aging, the large barrels mean that the oak is under control. This keeps all of the Reserva's structure, adds to it and then adds much sexier fruit. It's a little unfocused at times, particularly with aeration, but this powerful Tannat has plenty of everything to go with the flavor. I'll be interested in seeing where this goes in time, but for now it is worth leaning up on it while noting that it does have some questions to answer in the cellar. For the price, though, you can't go wrong .