Buenos Aires – “Plum – Blackberry – Quince” (actually Ciruela – Mora – Membrillo) are listed right there on the label below the name of the grape, Tannat. As I talked about in a previous post, Tannat is the grape of Madiran in southwest France, and the primary red grape of Uruguayan wines. Here in Argentina it’s a bit more of a novelty. I found it a bit more novel that the flavors are listed right on the front label of Bodegas Esmeralda “Rodas Colección 12” Tannat, 2006. Rodas is a relatively new line for Esmeralda; they bought a 50% stake in the Rodas winery from international conglomerate Diageo in 1999. Esmeralda itself is part of the Catena family wine group which includes the labels of Catena, Catena Alta, Catena Zapata, Alamos, Ben Marco, Argento, and Malambo, the latter two being among the biggest selling wines in Argentina.

The label is clearly intended to be user-friendly, especially with the upfront descriptors; repeated on the back with an explanation that those flavors and aromas are the result of expert opinions. I admit they were dead-on accurate. There is also a prominent “06” on the label along with an explanation that this is one of 12 varietal wines being produced in the line. Well, literally: “This wine forms part of a collection of 12 varietals, where each varietal permits you to enjoy a unique experience.” It doesn’t sound any more poetic in Spanish.

The wine was a great accompaniment for our left-over locro from the night before. It was definitely a fruit-forward, lighter style of Tannat, quite reminescent of Uruguayan style. This one, unlike the one I reviewed a week or so ago was not particularly tannic or dense, so it was a nice contrast. Definitely more food-friendly!