New World Winery of the Year 2018 - Wine Enthusiat Magazine
"This blend is plush and juicy with predominantly red fruit aromas, this wine is well balanced, medium bodied, and filled with layers of flavour and soft tannins. A touch of peppery spice and dark-roasted coffee bean comes through on the finish. 80% Tannat , 20% Merlot"
Bodega Garzón is a family owned winery in Maldonado on the Atlantic coast in southern Uruguay. They pioneered viticulture in this area over 10 years ago, and have since become the standard-bearer for premium wines from Uruguay. In November 2018, their pioneering status was recognised by Wine Enthusiast with the ‘New World Winery of the Year’ award. The vineyards at Bodega Garzón are a patchwork quilt of 1,150 individual plots of around 0.2 hectares in size, each plot carefully chosen for a specific variety according to its soil and microclimate. The winery is specially designed to operate as sustainably as possible, and is the first winery outside North America to pursue LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Built on natural terraces, the winery uses cutting-edge technology and operates using a gravity system to ensure quality and energy efficiency at every stage of production.
Average seasonal temperatures meant bud burst and fruit set occurred between September and December. However, strong spring winds meant work had to be undertaken in the vineyard to tie the shoots to their trellises to prevent damage. The hard work continued as rains between December and January threatened the vines and careful canopy management became necessary. Summer was dry and hot, and drip irrigation was necessary. The leaves were left untrimmed to serve as sun protection for the grapes. Late rains at the end of March brought forward the end of harvest. The wines from 2017 are characterised by elegant acidity and freshness.
The hand-harvested grapes were processed separately. After five days of maceration the grapes were fermented in stainless-steel tanks at 26-28ºC for one week with twice daily pump overs. The wines then remained in tank for a further 3-6 months on lees before blending and bottling.
