Two from Agostina De Lucca in Uruguay
This time last year I visited De Lucca winery in Uruguay’s Canelones region. You can red the report here. The winery is run by Reinaldo De Lucca, and his daughte Agostina has just released the first two wines that are entirely hers. One is an Orange wine from Marsanne; the other a no-added-sulfites Tannat. Both are lovely.
De Lucca Vino Naranja Marsanne Barrica Unica 2020 Canelones, Uruguay
11.5% alcohol. This is just a single barrel of skin contact Marsanne. Carbonic maceration (rare for whites) then skin contact for 20 days. Golden colour. Honey, nuts, spice and mandarin, with a nice combination of sweet fruit and savoury notes. Quite compact with good acidity and freshness. Finishing a bit nutty and honeyed with good texture. 90/100
De Lucca Tano Tannat Natural 2020 Canelones, Uruguay
14% alcohol. This is wild ferment and has no added sulfites, and is one of a pair of wines made by Agostina De Lucca, and these are the first wines she has had 100% say over. This Tano is named after her father. It’s an astonishingly vivid, intense, fruit-driven wine with lovely blackberries and blackcurrants, with juiciness and also a bit of richness, backed up by crunchy, grainy tannins. This is grippy and intense, but the exuberant fruit carries it – so joyful and pure. It’s a bit like drinking a barrel sample: so fresh and unadorned, and beautifully balanced. There’s some spicy framing, with notes of ginger. I really like this wine: it shows immense drinkability and personality. 92/100
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