El Enemigo Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2021 750ml

The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard is quite simply a “wow” wine that nearly defies description. The incredible perfume of violet and white pepper invites one in first, followed by crisp, complex layers of cassis and currant. Then there's tension and a punch of acidity, adding length, grace, and structure. It's the aging potential of another 20-30 years that ultimately puts a halo over it all that speaks most forcefully to the greatness of this wine.

As difficult as it is to pick a winner between the Gualtallary and El Cepillo bottlings, the 2021 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard gets my nod as the supreme example of the Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Cabernet Francs. It hails from a plot planted on calcareous rocky soils in 1995 with 10,000 vines per hectare, fermented with 40% whole bunches in barrique and underwent a 15-month élevage in 100-year-old foudre. Opening with a brooding, inward and quietly perfumed nose, its aromatic profile ceaselessly expands to encompass all manner of herbal and floral complexity, combining simmering intensity with supreme elegance. The palate follows suit with a rich, silky, refined and gently succulent energy, releasing into a graceful, dense and glacial conclusion that gives equal measure to vertical energy and horizontal richness. The finish slowly but steadily builds upon itself, revealing shimmering acidity and ultra-refined tannins with increased aeration. There is no better example of Cabernet Franc's suitability in the Uco Valley, a match rendered here with incomparable finesse, depth and complexity.

Graphite and blueberries with hints of tar, dark earth and ink on the nose. Medium-bodied with a compact and polished palate that is like a tight ball of fine silk in texture. Very structured yet all in balance.

#37 of Top 100, 2024. Is it possible to create a wine with structure but without weight? The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary offers a remarkable answer to that apparent paradox, finding the solution in a balanced combination of terroir and careful cellar work. It's almost utopian—a mountain wine with the structure and character of high-altitude vineyards, yet with the agility and freshness of an oceanic red. Purple in hue, it opens with blackberry and plum, layered with mountain herbs, a hint of sour cherry, cassis and floral tones of violet and lavender. Dry and juicy, with a slightly compact feel, the wine glides across the palate with weightless grace, supported by fine, chalky tannins. This wine is a triumph.

Rated 94 - Fermented with 100% whole bunches, this blend of cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec hails from vineyards in Gualtallary at 1,470 meters. Curated in foudres and concrete vats, it has classic garrigue and jarilla top notes, impressive structure and acidity, savoury tannins, blackberry and green herb flavours and a chalky finish. - Tim Atkin