Winemaker Notes
This 100% Cabernet Franc is all hand harvested from a single vineyard from Gualtallary inside of the Uco Valley, Mendoza. The nose is lifted and layered with dark fruits of plum and cassis wrapped in cinnamon bark and crushed dry leaves. A little bit like a mixed berry fruit rollup, this wine has leather qualities and density with hints of nutmeg, hazelnut, and cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. Well integrated tannins lead to a rich, smooth bodied finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A pungent nose of dark plums, mulberries, peppercorns, dried herbs, incense and cloves. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Racy with bright acidity. Spicy finish. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Terroir Único range has a more classical profile, a little more ripeness and alcohol (14% here) and élevage in used 500-liter barrels. The 2021 Gran Terroir Cabernet Franc has notes of black berry fruit and some herbal notes, combining ripeness with freshness, and it has a round palate with fine-grained tannins and a chalky sensation in the finish. This comes from six-year-old vines on alluvial soils with limestone at 1,350 meters in altitude.
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.