Bodega Garzón, 2018 Cabernet Franc-Tannat, Maldonado, Eastern Coast, Uruguay
Cab Franc du Jour #84
Bodega Garzón is the vision of businessman and entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni, who established the winery in 2008. With a deep respect for the natural biodiversity of this expansive 1,500-hectare estate, the 240 hectares of vineyards are planted among native flora and fauna alongside a 200-hectare nature reserve. That commitment to biodiversity and sustainability extends into the winery itself, which was the first Silver LEED-certified winemaking facility outside of North America. Under the guidance of winemaking consultant Alberto Antonini and enologist Germán Bruzzone, Bodega Garzón has, in a remarkably short time, put Uruguay firmly on the world wine map.
Uruguay and Cabernet Franc: South America’s “Old World” Wine Producer
The Uruguayan wine industry is vastly different from the two South American countries most commonly associated with the continent’s wine production. There are approximately 5,991 hectares under vine in Uruguay, with annual production representing a mere 0.07% of the combined output of Chile and Argentina. The climate of Uruguay’s wine regions is equally distinct, shaped by a strong Atlantic Ocean influence that brings considerably more rainfall, humidity, and cooler temperatures than are found across the Andes to the west, giving the country a moderate maritime climate and notably more vintage variation than is typical in Chile or Argentina.
Tannat is rightly regarded as Uruguay’s flagship variety, a grape from southwestern France well accustomed to maritime conditions, with thick skins that help it withstand high humidity. The first Tannat vines were planted here by Basque native Pascual Harriague in 1871, and the variety today accounts for just over a quarter of the country’s vineyard area at around 1,610 hectares.
Cabernet Franc, with only 237 hectares planted across Uruguay, is a much smaller presence, but its potential here is intriguing. Its origins in Basque Country on the Atlantic coast of France and Spain, and its proven affinity for maritime-influenced growing environments such as Bordeaux and Bolgheri, suggest a natural alignment with Uruguay’s climate. The fact that Cabernet Franc grows alongside Tannat in a number of southwestern French appellations, including Irouléguy and Béarn, only reinforces the sense that the variety could have a genuine future here.
Maldonado and the Garzón Sub-Region
There are two main viticultural areas in Uruguay: the combined regions of Canelones and Montevideo, which account for around 78% of total plantings, and the Eastern Coast, encompassing Maldonado, Rocha, and Lavalleja. Bodega Garzón is located in Maldonado, which will be the focus of the terroir discussion today.
While Maldonado’s viticultural history dates to around 1890, its modern wine story is quite recent, with the first commercial plantings established in the early 2000s. The region today has around 411 hectares under vine, roughly a tenth of the size of Canelones. It begins about 70km east of Montevideo and stretches roughly 85km westward to east, divided into five sub-regions. As a general rule, conditions become slightly cooler and drier as you move further east along the Uruguayan coast, though Maldonado as a whole still receives a meaningful amount of rainfall, around 1,040mm annually.
Bodega Garzón is located in the Garzón sub-region, the easternmost in Maldonado, at around 34.6 degrees south latitude, comparable to Colchagua in Chile, San Rafael in Argentina, Walker Bay in South Africa, and the Eden Valley in Australia. The estate sits only 18km from the Atlantic Ocean, and that proximity has a profound influence on the growing environment. Morning marine fogs delay the warming of the vineyards, while strong afternoon ocean breezes keep temperatures in check and help reduce humidity and disease pressure.
Altitude is less of a moderating factor here than in the wine regions of Argentina, for example. The landscape around Garzón is hilly, with elevations generally ranging from 60 to 150m above sea level, producing a longer, gentler, and more moderate growing season through the combination of maritime influence and modest elevation, rather than through dramatic temperature swings.
The Vineyard
Bodega Garzón farms 20 hectares of Cabernet Franc, planted in a remarkable labyrinth of plots across varying elevations, slopes, and exposures. The estate’s 240 hectares of vines have been divided into well over 1,000 individual plots, each vinified separately. The Cabernet Franc parcels are generally positioned on west-facing exposures to maximise afternoon sunshine. The wine is sourced from approximately 16 hectares of select parcels planted in 2009 and 2010, with additional Cabernet Franc planted in 2018. Both Clone 327 and Clone 214, the Bordeaux and Loire clones respectively, are used across the plantings.
The soils at Bodega Garzón are genuinely remarkable. Known locally as balasto, they are essentially weathered granite of extraordinary antiquity, dating back approximately 2,500 million years and placing them among the oldest soils on the planet. The texture is a free-draining sandy loam, ranging in depth from 50cm to 3m depending on the parcel. The combination of free drainage and low fertility is particularly important to the quality of viticulture here.
In the Cellar
This wine is composed of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tannat, with both varieties vinified in the same way. The fruit is hand-picked, destemmed, and lightly crushed before fermenting with indigenous yeast in 8,000L concrete vats. Light pump-overs are used during active fermentation to keep extraction minimal, with total skin contact of approximately seven days. Aging takes place in 2,500L oak foudres for 16 months.
Wine Details
Producer: Bodega Garzón
Region: Maldonado (Eastern Coast), Uruguay
Sub-Region: Garzón
Assemblage: 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Tannat
Soil: Weathered granitic sandy-loam, depths ranging from 50cm to 3m
Alcohol: 14.0%