Winemaker Notes
Pair this Cabernet Franc with grilled game meats.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc is 93% Cabernet Franc with 7% Petit Verdot from Gualtallary. The Petit Verdot ripened quite well in the warmer 2012 and adds acidity and structure to the blend. There is a clear spicy, herbal note akin to green peppercorns that is very balsamic and almost minty. This clearly identifies the Cabernet Franc. The palate is only light to medium-bodied and was harvested quite early. The wine shows fine tannins, very fine acidity, and feels quite linear. Most wouldn't expect this acidity in a wine from Argentina and many would mentally go to Chinon in the Loire. For me the style is very welcomed!
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Wine Enthusiast
Black fruit, cedar and tobacco aromas are nice but common. This is round and extracted, but a touch low on midpalate stuffing. Cherry and plum flavors yield to oaky vanilla in front of a finish with brandied cherry and black fruit flavors. Drink through 2020.
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.