99 point

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.

98 point

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.

98 point

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. Give it four or five years to come around. But you’ll be tempted to try it now.

97 point

Winemaker Alejandro Vigil has stopped using barrels to age his most ambitious wines. Instead, he now uses foudres, and sometimes very old ones that have been restored for him. That is the case of this cabernet franc from Gualtallary (with 15% malbec) that comes from vineyards more than 1,400 meters above sea level at the northern end of the Uco Valley. Here the foudre is more than 100 years old, which is a colorful detail but that speaks to the idea of oxygenating, giving air to a red wine from Gualtallary in an area that usually produces savage wines full of herbal aromas and tense tannins, typical of calcareous soils. There is all that here and more. Lots of entertainment for those who get their hands on these bottles.

97 point

Another linear offering of the variety, excellent for further aging, the 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard is a showcase of the cooler-climate region, crisp on the palate in lengthy acidity and firm, dusty tannins. The oak accentuates the cauldron of dried herb, baking spice, and garrigue at its heart. Cellar through 2041.