Drink (and think) like a somm
Michael Shaps
Tannat
Virginia
Monticello
Tannat 100%
Plum, Blackberry, Dark Chocolate, Espresso
23 Months
New French Oak
60%
Neutral Oak
40%
ABOUT
Michael Shaps 2021 Tannat
Tannat is fast becoming one of our more reliable red varieties because it consistently ripens to ideal maturity, producing a heavily extracted, yet balanced wine.
Traditionally grown in the Madiran region of southwestern France, this variety is known there to be higher in acidity and tannins, but in central Virginia our hot climate and soils provide us with a much more balanced varietal composition.
Due to Tannat’s naturally high tannins, we barrel age this wine for longer periods to help the wine evolve and integrate prior to bottling. Our Tannat tends to be our biggest red variety and we believe that aging this wine for 7-10 years will deepen the expressions of the wine through beautiful fruit and earth notes.
PAIRINGS
IN A PINCH
BBQ, rich meats.
DEEPER DIVE
The name “Tannat” is a derivative of tannin, so you can expect this wine to be big and grippy, which is perfect for rich, fatty cuts of meat. Its matching full body means you will definitely want to stick to the fuller end of the pairing spectrum as this wine will overpower lighter dishes pretty quickly.
Tannat displays ripe dark fruit and earthy notes like chocolate and espresso, so grilling is a great option to get some smoke and caramelized flavors to pair with this wine.
If you’re looking to skip the grill, braising or slow cooked rich stews are also going to be a great way to match this wine’s depth.
STANDOUT FEATURES: Full body, big tannins, earthy notes.
PAIRING SCALE
STEER CLEAR
Anything too light will be easily overpowered by this wine.
CHEESE OPTIONS
Stilton
Stilton
Country: England
Animal: Cow
Type: Strong, funky
Texture: Hard
Style: Full-bodied, tangy
Taleggio
Taleggio
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy
Style: Mild, sweet, aromatic
Époisse
Époisse
Country: France
Animal: Cow
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy
Style: Rich, earthy, spicy
RECIPE IDEAS
SERVICE
WHICH GLASSES?
The large bowl shape of Bordeaux glasses are going to best for bringing out the depth of this wine. All-purpose glasses always work as well.
BORDEAUX
BURGUNDY
FLUTE
COUPE
ALL-PURPOSE
WHITE
DESSERT
SHOULD I DECANT THIS?
WHY “Yes”?
There’s a lot to unpack in this wine, and most of it will be missed if it doesn’t have at least a little time to breath.
How long?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Minutes
SERVING TEMP
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
AGING
WHEN SHOULD I OPEN THIS?
If a wine has been released by the producer, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2025 – 2040
Development
NERD STUFF
TECHNICAL NOTES
Brix at Harvest: 24
pH: 3.74
TA: 7.2 grams/L
Alc: 13.7%
RS: 0.03%
Bottled: July 26, 2023
Cases Produced: 146
VINEYARD NOTES
Honah Lee vineyard was planted in 1998 and is located in the Monticello AVA. The vineyard is planted on Davidson Clay soil with southeastern exposure. The Tannat is grown on a modified ballerina trellis system that allows us to work at this naturally vigorous site and was cropped at 4 tons per acre. We have three different blocks of Tannat at Honah Lee, in different locations and elevation, providing us with very different profiles.
WINEMAKING NOTES
All of our Tannat is hand harvested and transferred to the winery for cooling prior to de-stemming and light crushing. Prior to fermentation the grapes are cold soaked for 48 hours for added extraction. We do not use any commercial yeast strain, but rather create a starter from its own juice during the cold maceration process. During fermentation, we conduct pump-overs twice daily until the end of fermentation and continue to extend the maceration for several weeks with daily pump-overs.
After about four weeks, the free run juice is separated from the skins. Then they are pressed and the wine is transferred to French oak barrels of varying age. After malolactic fermentation is completed during the barrel aging process, the wine is racked and aged for a total of 23 months before bottling. This wine goes into bottle unfiltered and in most years, un-fined as well.
PRODUCER
ABOUT US
Founded in 2007, Michael Shaps Wineworks is located in the former Montdomaine Winery, twelve miles south of Charlottesville, Virginia. The original concept was to use the facility for production of the existing Michael Shaps brand of wines, and to produce a second brand called Wineworks, a more value-oriented line of Virginia wines.
Within the first year the opportunity arose to develop Virginia’s first contract winemaking operation–more commonly known as custom crush–to make wine for independent growers who want their own brand. Found in many wine regions around the world, this previously untapped market became a focus for Wineworks.
Between 2008-2014 the customer base grew to over twenty contract winemaking clients and the facility grew in size and capacity, requiring two expansions. Wineworks quickly became a regional leader for contract winemaking, serving clients from Tennessee to Delaware.
Michael ShapsWhen Michael’s founding partner left in 2014, he brought in investors to expand the winery facility to increase production capacity to 30,000 cases of wine and changed the name from Virginia Wineworks to Michael Shaps Wineworks. In 2015 the processing volume reached 430 tons (approximately 28,000 cases) and the 2017 harvest brought in over 500 tons.
OUR VINEYARDS
Our Vineyard sites have been chosen and cultivated with care, thinking about the current vintages as well as future vintages. We believe that great wines start in the field, without great fruit, we cannot achieve great wine.
HONAH LEE
Located in Gordonsville, VA, Honah Lee Vineyard is our primary vineyard site.
WILD MEADOW
Wild Meadow Vineyard has been highly acclaimed as one of the best chardonnay sites in the state.
MICHAEL SHAPS ESTATE
Michael Shaps Estate Vineyard
The Harris Creek Road property has been planted to vineyard since the early 1990s.
Interested in joining our wine club?
Membership Benefits:
- 4 shipments per year: February, May, September, December
- 30% discount on all Wine Club shipments
- 20% discount on all other wine bottle purchases–both online and in tasting rooms
- Complimentary wine tastings for two (limit 2 per membership) at the winery of either Virginia or Burgundy wines, depending on your club each time you visit the winery
- 20% off wine flights at Wineworks Extended each time you visit
- Discounted tickets to many special events
- Access to pre-release & “library” wines not available to the public
- Tickets for two (limit 2 per membership) to the quarterly Wine Club Pickup parties, held in February, May, September, December
