Pulenta XI Gran Cabernet Franc 2014
-
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Gran Cabernet Franc was produced with grapes from their estate vineyards in Alto Agrelo, where it gets the typical roasted pepper aromas and round tannins. It fermented with selected yeasts in a combination of concrete, oak and stainless steel vats and oak barrels and matured in French barriques (50% new) for 12 to 16 months. It has great freshness, very defined varietal characteristics, spicy and herbal notes and an explosive nose, with a sense of harmony and coolness as well as the typical pepperiness of the reds from the Loire. The palate is very harmonious, with very fine tannins and good balance between freshness and ripeness, serious and elegant. I like this very much. 15,000 bottles were filled in December 2016.
-
James Suckling
A red with blackberry and blueberry character and hints of fresh herbs. New wood is coming out a bit now but should come together. Full body, tight and focused with fine tannins and a juicy and delicious finish. Needs two or three years to come together.
Other Vintages
2019-
James
Suckling
-
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling
-
James
Suckling
-
James
Suckling
-
Robert
Parker
The Pulenta family has been a prominent and respected force in Argentine viticulture for three generations. Sons of well-known winegrower Antonio Pulenta, and descendants of Italian immigrants, Eduardo and Hugo Pulenta founded Pulenta Estate in 2002. The vineyards are estate-owned and farmed for high quality and limited yields. Their extensive holdings in the Agrelo area of Lujan de Cuyo have allowed them to create a broad portfolio that includes sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay and malbec rose; merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and cabernet sauvignon in several tiers and even a late harvest red blend.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.