Winemaker Notes
Red, deep intense, ruby reflections. Complex, highlighting the fruit, especially fresh black fruit: black cherries, blackberries, spicy with contribution of graphite (mineral). All this in combination with vanilla, mocha, delivered by the barrel aging. Very smooth texture, sweet tannins, elegant aftertaste.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Gooseberry leaves and cassis on the nose with some plums and baking spices. A medium-bodied cabernet franc with chewy tannins and some herbal tones in the finish. Fluent and drinkable, but not quite intense.
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 a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.