Uruguay’s Bodega Garzón presents ‘outstanding’ Balasto 2020 following Rugby World Cup appearance

Uruguayan fine wine brand Balasto has presented its “outstanding” 2020 vintage “from one of the most memorable harvests” ahead of its release through La Place de Bordeaux, with a magnum being presented to French President Emmanuel Macron during the opening Rugby World Cup match between France and Uruguay.  The wine – a singular blend of 42% Tannat, 39% Cabernet Franc and 19% Petit Verdot from Uruguay – was the third South American wine to launch on the French distribution network (in 2017) after Chile’s Almaviva and Seña and remains the only wine from Uruguay to do so. Coming from Bodega Garzón in Uruguay’s Maldonado coastal region, it has been described as “far superior to anything else from Uruguay”, in part due to the high-quality vineyards use to grow its grapes, the state-of-the-art winery used in its production, and the high-profile consultant winemaker involved in the project, Italy’s Alberto Antonini. The project, which was backed by Argentine oil and gas billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni, is managed by CEO Christian Wylie, who was previously  a senior figure at Chile’s Carolina Wine Brands. Launching on the Bordeaux négociant network in 2017 was a key plank in the newcomer’s strategy to become a global fine wine and it is being represented by negociants Louis Vialard and Ulysse Cazabonne. The release comes in a week-long round of tastings and events, which kicked off on Monday with a vertical tasting of five of the last six vintages in Bordeaux, followed by an event at sports club, La