Winemaker Notes
This Cabernet Franc is ruby red in color with soft violet tones. The nose has intense aromas and concentrated notes of cassis, ripe currants, and sweet spices including black pepper and cloves. Its tenure provides integrated oak notes of cedar and vanilla. Fresh impact and excellent structure on the palate, reminiscent of ripe red fruits with hints of eucalyptus and tagged black pepper. This wine has an excellent balance and elegance with a well-structured, persistent finish.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A super-drinkable, linear cabernet franc showing a mixture of blue plums and red cherries with a fresh mineral quality. Juicy, fresh and expressive on the palate, with a medium body and a long, extensive finish. Streamlined, with nothing redundant. Pretty irresistible now, but can hold.
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Franc, crafted from grapes planted in Gualtallary in the late 1990s after selection in Barrancas, also contains 10% Malbec. It has a delicate purple hue and aromas of licorice, blackberry and a whisper of ash. Lean yet flavorful, the palate is anchored by fine acidity and finishes with a subtle touch of fruit. Structured more like a white wine, this Cabernet Franc uses acidity as its backbone, giving it a fresh, lifted profile.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Cabernet Franc is similar to the 2019 I tasted next to it and feels like the fruit is darker than the 2020 that I also had the chance to compare it with. It's still young and energetic, with abundant fine-grained tannins and a chalky, dry finish.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Enthusiast
This is a delicious Cabernet Franc at great value. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil sourced grapes from Gualtallary and aged this wine for 15 months in 100-year-old foudres. Aromas of cranberry and mulberry perfume the nose. It’s beautifully balanced, with oak spices, green bell pepper and ripe black fruit flavors.
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Wine Spectator
This fresh version is imbued with layers of pure raspberry and red currant, while peppercorn and graphite nuances add dimension. The finish has nice length, with caressing tannins and a persistent push of fruit. Drink now through 2036.
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.