February 18, 2024 - The finish is the headline of this wine at its current stage of evolution. It is salty, mineral (crushed rocks), tart berries, and goes on for ages. The nose, and also the attack and mid palette is delicious and concentrated, but very young with ripe black fruit and oak, but the finish is spectacular. 90 for now, but the upside when everything comes together is off the scale.
January 7, 2024 - Dark, ripe and inky. Very intense on first pour and needs some air to come together. After decanting for 2-3 hours, the core of ripe dark fruit settles down and makes way for cedar, spices and cocoa. Not what I would expect from Cabernet Franc, but a well made wine.
Deep purple colour.
Pronounced aromas of dark plums, ripe blackberries, dark cherry, cedar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, leather, licorice.
Pronounced palate.
Medium (+) body, high acidity, medium (+) tannins, long finish.
July 9, 2023 - Powerful and concentrated but somewhat diffuse and lacking focus. It’s 85% Cabernet Franc.
July 6, 2023 - Deep ruby with a heavy perfume of violets, candied strawberry and black plums. Tannins are medium (+) but very smooth and acidity is high which lifts this above being a heavy wine and creates excellent balance. Slight trace of green bell peppers and fresh leather and vanilla. Not too many tertiary notes at this stage so would love to revisit in 5 years.
June 6, 2023 - This Cab Franc/Malbec blend has delicious dark fruit that reminds me more like a wine from the left bank of Bordeaux. Complex with notes of chocolate, violet and forest floor with a balanced spice on the finish. Super smooth on the palate and a very long finish of oak and delicious dark fruit. This is a great wine that has many years left to develop in the bottle.
February 14, 2023 - Gran Enemigo 2016 tasting, via tubes samples (Oinoscent): Very fragrant, floral notes, green bell pepper, well balanced, high intensity, a thicker oak frame than the rest of the wines
In the palate, the wines show high intensity again, stronger, tighter tannins, almost brutal ones, juicy blue fruit, medium to full body, herbal/stalky freshness, long finish
With time and air in the glass, you get the character that we all love !
February 11, 2023 - Decanted for about 45 minutes, this was smooth as silk with a combination of red and black fruit, woody herbs, violet, and slate on the nose. On the palate, it trended toward darker fig and plum notes but with good freshness and acidity that combined a sense of casis of dried orange peel. Perfectly balanced and a beautiful expression of Gualtallary. Excited to try again in five years.
October 20, 2022 - Good to drink now
October 10, 2022 - In the bouquet dark berries and ripe red berries and cherries. On the palate dark berries, herbs and spices, beautiful acidity and mild tannin, a touch of sweetness. Full bodied and aromatic , juicy wine with a good length. In its young maturity stage now. 92 – 93
October 8, 2022 - Just wonderful!