Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Franc Appellation San Carlos, aged for up to 13 months in barrel, opens with soft ash notes, a touch of bell pepper and oak in the background. Intense with a chalky texture and a taut profile, the 2023 finishes with lovely fruit. This well-structured red showcases a calibrated balance between fruit and the vintage's characteristic ripeness.
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James Suckling
Spices and cedar. The firm and juicy palate shows floral notes and rich dark fruit. Bold, vibrant and expressive.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from plantings spanning 1997-2005, the 2023 Appellation San Carlos Cabernet Franc leads with aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, tobacco and black fruits. The palate is plush and lusciously textured, concluding with a vibrant, herbal finish that retains a touch of the sweet concentration displayed on the palate.
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.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.