El Enemigo - Mendoza Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2021

Although it’s difficult to choose between the Gualtallary and El Cepillo vintages, the Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard 2021 wins my vote as the best example of Gran Enemigo’s Single Vineyard Cabernet Francs. It comes from a plot planted in 1995 on rocky limestone soils, with 10,000 vines per hectare, fermented with 40% whole clusters in barrels and aged for 15 months in century-old casks. Opening with a dark, introverted, and subtly fragrant nose, its aromatic profile continues to unfold, encompassing a full range of herbaceous and floral complexities, combining effervescent intensity with supreme elegance. The palate follows with a rich, silky, refined, and delicately succulent energy, unfolding into a graceful, dense, and icy finish that emphasizes vertical energy as much as horizontal richness. The finish builds slowly but surely, revealing shimmering acidity and ultra-refined tannins with extended aeration. There is no better example of how well Cabernet Franc suits the Uco Valley—a pairing executed here with unparalleled finesse, depth, and complexity. 2024–2041

Is it possible to create a structured wine that isn’t heavy? The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary offers a remarkable answer to this apparent paradox, finding the solution in a balanced combination of terroir and meticulous work in the cellar. 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 color, it opens with aromas of blackberry and plum, enhanced by notes of mountain herbs, a hint of tart cherry, blackcurrant, and floral notes of violet and lavender. Dry and juicy, with a slightly compact texture, this wine glides across the palate with an ethereal grace, supported by fine, chalky tannins. This wine is a true triumph. 2026–2046

Aroma of graphite and blueberries with notes of tar, dark earth, and ink. Medium-bodied with a compact, refined palate, whose texture is reminiscent of a ball of fine silk. Very structured, yet perfectly balanced. Wait four or five years before tasting it. But you’ll be tempted to try it right away.