2021 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc

Bottle weight 510 g. 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec. Side project of Adrianna Catena and Catena winemaker Alejandro Vigil. Fermented with ambient yeasts at a maximum temperature of 28 °C for 22 days, with 28 days of maceration. The wine was then aged for 15 months in a combination of 100-year-old foudre (50%), barrel (25%) and stainless steel (25%). RS 2.5 g/l.  Available in 650 stores. Another wine you wouldn’t expect to find at Tesco! Deep crimson. Subtle, evolved nose – more proof of how well Cab Franc does in Mendoza. Sweet fruit on the palate (and, it has to be said, some rather obvious oak) and – just – Cab Franc aroma. I’d prefer to wait until the oak disappeared but it’s fresh and lively. (JR)

The 2021 Cabernet Franc is similar to the 2019 I tasted next to it and feels like the fruit is darker than the 2020 that I also had the chance to compare it with. It's still young and energetic, with abundant fine-grained tannins and a chalky, dry finish. 23,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022.

The 2021 Cabernet Franc, crafted from grapes planted in Gualtallary in the late 1990s after selection in Barrancas, also contains 10% Malbec. It has a delicate purple hue and aromas of licorice, blackberry and a whisper of ash. Lean yet flavorful, the palate is anchored by fine acidity and finishes with a subtle touch of fruit. Structured more like a white wine, this Cabernet Franc uses acidity as its backbone, giving it a fresh, lifted profile.