Tiger Mountain Vineyards

At the southern tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia, you’ll find small pockets of vineyards with some interesting varietal choices going on. Situated just outside of the village of Tiger, at 2000 feet elevation on iron rich clay and granite soils, Tiger Mountain’s vineyards host the likes of obscure but character rich varieties Petit Manseng and Tannat. With such grapes one might suspect that these southeastern viticultural adventurers have looked to the little known Pyrenees mountain appellations of Southwest France for some inspiration, and why not; the last thing anyone needs is yet another Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay.

Tiger Mountain’s 2004 Tannat has a medium intensity of color with ruby hues that reveal a nice degree of maturity in this wine. The nose furthers this impression with old fashioned earthy horsey/barnyard aromas complementing raspberry and cherry fruit, anise spice and pronounced but nicely integrated woody notes, from nearly two years of barrel aging. The palate is medium weight and elegant with every corner fully packed with sour cherry, dill and leather flavors, with fine velvety tannins and a great acid core that beckons food.

Overall, the wine is very Old World in style, though it is not as inky and wildly rustic as the Tannat based wines of France’s Madiran, nor as fruit-forward and spiced jammy as versions from South America, namely Uruguay. Instead, Georgia Tannat seems to carry itself with its own idiosyncratic charm – I like to think this is due to its rather distinctive origin. For a grape best known for its wild animal spirit, Tiger Mountain’s Tannat is more akin to the beast after some good Southern Finishing School.

Reviewed March 28, 2008 by Adam Dial.