Winemaker Notes
This high elevation Cabernet Franc from Mendoza packs on the flavors of wild blackberry jam, cherries and ripe strawberries. Aged in French oak, this rich red is loaded with jammy cassis and blueberry flavors, woven together with layers of floral and cedar notes.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Before my many visits to Argentina, I thought Malbec was the star. This notion proved erroneous as I ventured deep into that county's viticultural areas. The 2021 Sur de los Andes Cabernet Franc can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Malbec. This wine offers aromas and flavors of wild herbs, mid-summer blackberries, and hints of oak. Try this with grilled baby back ribs. (Tasted: September 27, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
A flavorful cabernet franc with aromas of blueberries, violets, bitter chocolate, oregano and bay leaves. It’s medium- to full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins and delicious herb notes.
In the shadow of the Andes Mountains, Mendoza’s wine regions and high-altitude vineyards are pushed to develop bold, unique flavors in extreme conditions found nowhere else on earth. High altitude means cool temperatures and clear air, and clear air means more sunlight for building flavor in the grapes, helping to make Mendoza the source of Argentina’s well-earned reputation for top quality, unique wines and viticulture. All of the grapes for Sur de los Andes are double sorted. They only use natural yeasts during the 30-day fermentation 30 days after 5 days of cold maceration.
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.