2021 Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo Cabernet Franc Lujan de Cuyo

Agrelo reds generally tend to be generous in sweetness—friendly wines that go very well with roast meat. There is some of that in this cabernet franc with 15% malbec and aged in foudres that are more than 100 years old. It has that succulent sweetness, the aromas and flavors of black fruits, but it also has the hand of the winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, who gives Agrelo a turn of the screw and makes it more piercing and extreme. Leave it in the glass for a while, and you will see how the tart red fruits and herbs appear in a wine that is at the top, among the best in the area.

The tannins are very fine with a caressing texture and attractive and reserved fruit. The palate and the nose show a blueberry and cedar character with licorice and stone notes. Refined and long at the end. Delicious to drink already but better in two or three years.

The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Agrelo contains 15% Malbec from Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, aged for a year in foudres and barrels. Purple with a hint of garnet, it opens with plum, blackberry, ash and cassis aromas, a touch of Worcestershire sauce and a subtle fine wood note in the background. The palate is rich and well-structured, with delicate juiciness and lingering flavors. Velvet tannins typical of Luján provide a refined texture, while the ripeness lends a pleasingly smooth mouthfeel, especially notable for a cool vintage.

Containing 15% Malbec, the 2021 Gran Enemigo Agrelo Single Vineyard hails from clay soils planted with 10,000 vines per hectare. It fermented in barrique with 20% inclusion of whole bunches and spent 15 months maturing in foudre. It leads with the most spice-inflected bouquet of the single-vineyard Cabernet Franc range, developing vibrant, floral notes with time in the glass. The palate displays a dense, compact profile delivered with the impeccable precision that runs through the range, concluding with a bright, focused and weightless finish.

The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Agrelo Single Vineyard is a deliciously bold, brawny, and powerful wine, thickly dense but layered in flavor. The graphite element is strong and underscores a rich tapestry of floral aromatics and herbal character. Cellar through 2036.