El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2014
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Winemaker Notes
Pair this Cabernet Franc with grilled game meats.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc is pure Cabernet Franc from Gualtallary fermented with 50% whole clusters. It felt riper than the 2013, and there are less herbal aromas and more notes from the plum-like spectrum. What I like here is the tastiness in the palate and the fine tannins, the chalky sensation that provides an almost salty finish. The palate is a lot fresher than the nose points at and the acidity is quite high. It slowly develops a note of curry, getting spicier and spicier in the glass.
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James Suckling
A vivid and fruity cabernet franc with a linear edge and focus. Medium to full body, firm and silk tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy, woodsy, spicy aromas of cherry and cassis set up a tannic palate with more than enough grip. Baked oaky berry flavors come with mint and spice notes, while this feels scratchy on a fiery finish. Drink through 2020.
Other Vintages
2020-
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El Enemigo translates as the enemy. Nodding to the fact that at the end of any journey, most remember only one battle — the one fought within (the original enemy). This is the battle that defines us. The wines of El Enemigo are a tribute to those internal battles that make us who we are, brought to fruition by a winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, and a historian, Adrianna Catena who share a love of wine and reach back in time to capture the era when European immigrants first settled in Argentina. These settlers sought to make wines as fine, and finer, than those of their old homeland. By 1936, Malbec and Petit Verdot were the most widely planted fine varietals in Argentina, their blend considered the ultimate in refinement and aging potential.
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.