- 95 points -

Made “like a flan”, according to Ale Vigil, this is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, with lots of whole bunches and aged in old wooden foudres. Zesty and fresh, with the low alcohol and focus that are a feature of the El Enemigo style, it’s savoury and bright with salty minerality and graphite and green herb flavours.

- 94 points -

The 2019 Cabernet Franc from the Uco Valley contains 10% of Malbec and spent 15 months in foudres. Violet in hue. The raw nose offers a whiff of stem and herbal hints with a touch of sour cherry and a fruity backdrop. Quite smooth and juicy with a degree of tension and a frank expression, the dark fruit flavors are compact at the back of the mouth, leading into the lengthy finish.

- 94 points -

Blended with 6% Malbec - Alejandro Vigil rarely makes pure varietal wines - this old foudreaged Cabernet Franc is grassy, sappy and refreshing, with notes of green tea, cassis and aromatic spices. The 60% whole bunches add another layer of complexity.

- 94 points -

The entire Aleanna project began with cabernet franc, but with the cabernet franc from Guatallary's limestone soils. That was the cornerstone that what is now one of Argentina's most important wineries grew from. And this was their first wine, thanks to the 2009 vintage. And now, years later, this label has mutated toward a much tenser and fresher direction, leaving the sweetness aside and the oak behind. A delicious and herbal expression of a mountain cabernet (the vineyards are at the foot of the Andes, 1,470 meters above sea level) that's easy to drink—and that requires more than one bottle.

- 93 points -

The 2018 Cabernet Franc El Enemigo is mixed with 10% Malbec, both harvested at five separate times in Gualtallary, Uco Valley and from vineyards planted in sandy soils rich in calcium deposits. This wine was aged for 15 months in old foudres. Dark garnet in color, the complex nose offers notes of ripe redcurrant, dark fruit, hints of ash and a touch of jalapeño and nutmeg followed by country herbs. Compact and taut on the palate with a juicy linearity, the wine gathers depth and flavor as it goes before the long, bold finish. A lovely way of taming the wilder qualities of high-altitude reds.

- 93 points -

Aromas of dark fruit with fresh herbs and tile. Perfumed. Medium-to-full body, juicy fruit and a flavorful finish.

- 93 points -

This is such a delicious cabernet franc with blackberry and floral notes on the nose and palate, which draw you in and invite you to drink. Medium body. Round, creamy tannins and a delicious finish. The use of whole berries really makes this.

- 93 points -

Blended with 10% Malbec for additional complexity and a little more weight, this is very much a high-altitude style of Cabernet Franc, showing classic graphite and cut grass aromas, granular tannins, subtle vanilla oak spice and a long, chalky finish.

- 93 points -

The cabernet franc (with a bit of malbec) from the chalky soils of the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary tends to leave the herbal notes aside and remains a bit mute on the nose. The palate, however, in this case—and in many others—is full of fiber and very firm, tense structure, while the flavors of tart red fruits have a little party.

- 93 points -

Aromas of crushed berries with chili and mineral undertones. It’s full-bodied with firm tannins. Structured and savory. Tannic finish with length. Hints of herbs to the blackberry fruit character. Try after 2022, to let the tannins soften a bit. But already attractive.

- 92 points -

This has aromas of fresh plums, raspberries, currants, tobacco leaves and bark. Medium-bodied with supple tannins and a creamy, vibrant and fresh palate. Juicy fruit. 

- 92 points -

Harvested in stages in Gualtallary over a five-week period, this Cabernet Franc with 8% Malbec, aged in foudres, is a grand statement about the virtues of the variety. Sweet and sour cherries dominate a nose that reveals light hints of pyrazine, but are then overtaken in the glass by black currant. An open wine with a juicy palate, firm structure and polished tannins, presenting an engaging character and a long, fruity finish.

- 92 points -

It was curious to see how the Cabernet Franc in cooler years seemed to have ripened more thoroughly, and the 2019 Cabernet Franc and the 2021 felt riper than the 2020, with darker fruit and a headier sensation, despite all being around 13.5% alcohol. These bottlings are never 100% from the variety, and this one contains some 10% Malbec. It has some spicy oak in the background.

- 92 points -

Editor's Choice

Tight, spicy aromas of rooty berry fruits brightened by red currant set up a smooth, jammy palate that doesn't weigh too heavily. Peppery black fruit flavors are topped by toasty oak, while this expands on the finish with berry, spice and chocolate notes, with herbal hints coming in late. Drink through 2024.