Winemaker Notes
Bluish-red with black tones. Complex, dominated by aromas of ripe red fruits. There are also notes of spices, tobacco and smoke.
Elegant in the mouth with rounded tannins, good structure and smoothness. Ending with a long lingering finish.
Ideal to pair with red meats, roasted duck or lamb, pasta and cheese.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Franc Guarda from Luján de Cuyo was aged for 12 months in new and used French barrels. Garnet red in hue. The nose is ripe and jammy, offering ash, herbs, tobacco, refined oaky notes, blackberry, jalapeño and tea. Delivers rounded tannins, sustained flavor, good volume and juice given the taut 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.