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2018 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Cabernet Franc

Light label condition issue

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased at retail

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

98The Wine Advocate

...austere and shows restraint, with great freshness and gobsmacking balance and complexity...medium-bodied palate and a rare combination of power and elegance, with very fine, chalky tannins. It's very long and has a salty and tasty finish.

97Vinous / IWC

...vivid nose offers herbs, mint, red fruit, hints of plum and blackberry, lavender and touches of bell pepper and bay leaf rounded off by spicy aromas. In the mouth it’s broad with a layer of freshness and chalky tannins. Compact with a firm, juicy structure, it delivers good complexity and tension before the languorous, fruity finish.

96James Suckling

Aromas of violets, almond blossoms, wild blackberries, blueberries, ash, tea leaves and nutmeg. It’s medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and finely knit tannins. Mineral, tea-like edge, supporting a fresh core of blue fruit. Refined and subtle, yet comforting.

92Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of red plum and dried herbs blend with small doses of vanilla. Made with grapes sourced from Gualtallary, it's full bodied and energetic, with a herbaceous character demanding attention on the vibrant palate. Plum, blackberry and green bell pepper join oak spice. It finishes with notes of tobacco.

REGION

Argentina, Mendoza (Cuyo)

Mendoza on the western edge of Argentina is the nation’s largest and most important wine producing region. With about a billion acres under vine, the region of Mendoza alone has nearly half as many vineyards acres as all of the United States. Located on the edge of the Andes, vineyards here are high, usually 2,000 to 3,600 feet above sea level, yet they enjoy a relatively temperate climate and four distinct seasons. The soil is sandy and alluvial with clay underneath and moderate rainfall encourages growth. Historically Argentina, and Mendoza, grew pink skin grapes for slightly sweet pink or white wines. Those grapes are still grown for bulk jug wine. Since the late 1980s, however, Malbec has been Mendoza’s most important grape, since it makes a rich, dark, robust, age-worth red. The second most important red grape is Bonarda, which is thought to be the same grape that California growers know as Charbono. Italian and Spanish red grapes including Sangiovese, Barbera and Tempranillo were brought by immigrants, and they are grown today. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Torrontés and numerous other red and white grapes are also grown successfully.

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Franc

This is a parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon. It most likely originates from Basque country. It is an excellent blending grape, known for making the exquisite Cheval-Blanc. Franc is a little hardier on a vine than Sauvignon, but drinks smoothly at the table.