Named for its brooding tannins, tannat is not for the meek of palate. Originally from the Basque country and Southwest France around Madiran, the grape now has found a second home in Uruguay, the only country in the world where tannat takes up a significant proportion of vineyards. One could say that tannat is to Uruguay what malbec is to Argentina.

But Argentina today also delivers some outstanding tannats that can rival the ones from its cool, ocean-influenced neighbor. We found some excellent expressions this year, and many come from the elevated, extreme climate region – Salta, where people are making fresher and more vibrant and precise wines than ever.

Uruguay is the fourth largest producer in South America, yet the production is still insignificant compared to Chile and Argentina. In the 1870s, the Basque settler Pascual Harriague planted the first vines of tannat, when it was known as “harriague”. The quality of Uruguayan tannat started to pick up when people began to export, and the whole industry became streamlined from the 1990s. A better understanding of the clones under a mild maritime climate and fine-tuned with viti-vini practices such as micro-oxygenation and oak aging (when correctly done and not over-oak the wine) mellowed the powerful tannins of the variety. Today, Uruguay delivers a broad spectrum of styles from cheerful, fresher bottles to deep and brooding wines, while the best bring vibrancy, finesse, and nuanced complexity to the glass.

In the northern part of Argentina, in the extreme Calchaqui Valley of Salta, producers like El Esteco, Bodega El Porvenir, Colomé, Domingo Molina, and Yacochuya all deliver some excellent tannat wines. The intense sunshine framed in a cool climate thanks to its high altitude renders deeply colored wines with plenty of richness, freshness, and structure without underripe astringency. When harvested late (usually very late just before some grapes shrivel) and extracted gently, the tannin is not a problem in Salta and rarely do the wines have a monolithic feel.

We have selected eight wines (four from Uruguay and four from Salta) to show you how memorable varietal tannat can be under $40 a bottle. Bodega Garzon is among the best we know, delivering precision in its different tannats. Other producers like Pisano, Viñedo de los Vientos, De Lucca, Pizzorno, and Marichal all produce value wines that catch the eye. And don’t write off the merlot-tannat blends or the seemingly peculiar pinot noir-tannat blends. They all serve to tame this “wild beast.” Tannat is also considered a healthier red grape, thanks to its high polyphenols. So, if health benefit is in your mind when it comes to drinking wine, then you might want to put tannat on your buying list!

– Zekun Shuai, associate editor in Beijing