If you’ve tried wine from Uruguay outside of Uruguay, Garzon Tannat is likely to have been your first Uruguayan wine. However, they have other wines in their lineup which are starting to make their way abroad as well. Let’s try a couple.
Going beyond Tannat in Uruguay
For many wine geeks, a region or country’s flagship grape variety is often actually not our favorite. For example, most Chilean wine geeks I run across don’t have Carmenere as their top variety in the country. Me personally, I gravitate towards Chilean Carignan instead. Similarly, I’ve had more impressive Cabernet Franc from Argentina than Malbec. One wouldn’t deny Nebbiolo as the king of Piedmont, but it’s still worth exploring some of their whites like Timorasso, and enjoying the variety Barbera on a weeknight as you wait for your Nebbiolo to age some.
Tannat is the king of Uruguay, but I looked at some other varieties being made in Uruguay after I went there in 2022. However, many of those wines will be hard to find outside of Uruguay since two thirds of Uruguayan export wines are only from Garzon. The good news is they’re starting to export more than just their Tannats. Their Albariño has been available abroad for a while, but now I’m seeing other varieties by Garzon like Pinot, Marselan, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in the US. There are more Garzon options in Chile too, so I picked up their mid to entry-level Cabernet Franc and Marselan to try out. 
Tasting Notes
2022 Garzón Cabernet de Corte Maldonado
This is their cheapest label below the Reserva level, but still from estate fruit. Screw cap. Only stainless steel is used in their “de Corte” line. 80% Cabernet Franc 10% Tannat 5% Merlot y 5% Marselan. The nose has some vanilla (weird with no oak used), tobacco, savory herbal notes, with some dark berry fruit. Mild pyrazines, so not obviously Cabernet Franc and rather Left Bank Bordeaux on the nose. The palate has some juicy fruit up front with more red fruit notes mixed in with the dark fruits, a medium body, medium alcohol, medium+ acid, and spice. The mid-palate is a bit lacking and the finish could have been smoother, but it hits the spot if you like Bordeaux blends. 89
2022 Garzón Marselan Reserva Maldonado
Fermented in cement vats and then aged 6-12 months in untoasted, various sized French oak barrels. 100% Marselan. Dark color profile. There’s baking spice and chocolate with ripe dark berry fruit. Soft tannins. Low acid. A rather international styled, crowd pleasing wine with no hard edges, ripe fruit and sweet oak notes. Probably would have said this was standard Argentinian Malbec if tasted blind. Not shy in its expression. No complaints other than its generic. I actually prefer the Cabernet Franc but felt this was technically better. 90