The Wines
Never heard of Marselan? No worries, it's one of the world's more obscure varietals, but it produces a delicious red wine for not a lot of money. It is a genetic cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. And while its roots are in the South of France, it is thriving in niche areas such as China and Uruguay. It is naturally disease resistant but was ignored for several decades due to its small berry size, then came to the fore more recently as wine drinkers discovered, and were willing to pay for, better quality wines over mass-produced plonk. This wine is a great introduction to the varietal, as it is 100% Marselan.
The wine begins with an intense red color with carmine (deep red) reflections, it leads the taster into elegant fresh aromas of cherries, cassis, plums and blackberries and a hint of eucalyptus and mint. Known for its fine tannic structure, this wine is likely to age well in your cellar. Or drink now with big-flavored dishes such as lamb with garlic and rosemary (such as this dead easy recipe), pork and black bean stew, cassoulet, or lentil stew.
The Winery
Though Garzon may be the first Uruguayan winery you've encountered, it's likely not the last. Producing wines of exceptional quality, and not yet a victim of tarrif wars, these wines are likely to do nothing but grow over the coming years.
And Garzon will lead the pack, in terms of exports, production, quality and sustainability. In fact, Garson is the first LEED certified winery outside of the US, Bodega Garzon is a leader in energy conservation and sustainable design and practices.
Geology in the Garzón area belongs to what is known as the 'Crystalline Basement', which gave origin to our planet's oldest soils some 2500 million years ago(ish). When those rocks are altered and broken down over millions of years, a fantastic soil type is formed. Consisting of weathered rock, it is Ballast (see image with wine glass).
But the soil is only part of the Garzon terroir, as these vineyards are close to the Atlantic and influenced by its cooling nighttime temperatures, keeping their wines fresh and lively.
