Catena, San Carlos Cabernet Franc 2019

This is one for lovers of things that are off-the-beaten track, but also familiar enough to feel warmed, charmed and captivated!

We have always been huge fans of the wines of Catena, but have often wondered what it is that makes them so great.

This is the answer!

This is from the "Appellation" series that Catena have launched to show the very specific sets of ingredients that go into the much-loved blends. The several individual sites are vinified seperately and are then asssessed to establish whether they go into the blend or if they make the grade for the Appellation wines: when they do make these specific bottlings, we are given microscopic insight into the Catena philosophy as well as simply delicious, single-site wine. It's fanatical and extremely generous winemaking!

Made from 100% Cabernet Franc grown in the Catena family's high-altitude vineyard holdings in the tiny village of San Carlos, about 100km south of Mendoza and 20km south-east of Vista Flores. The vineyards face north-west which gives warmth and some afternoon sun, but protects them from the extremes of heat. The altitude and exposition are perfect for Cabernet France and give the grapes a longer ripening period, allowing for the development of thicker skins, darker colouring and more complex flavours in the resulting wine.

It is a dense, structured and juciy Cabernet Franc with blackberry, boysenbery, pepper and coulis flavours with hiuglight notes of spice, mint and eucaplyptus. It's a serious wine for lovers of the grape variety, but also a seriously enjoyable wine for lovers of all red wines.

With a winemaking history that very few old world wineries possess, let alone in the new world, Catena have achieved international recognition through their pioneering winemaking and vineyard management. With a special relationship to the study of vines at high altitude, they are able to boast a vast range of single vineyard and single site wines across at least four different grape varieties. Their quest for the best from their land isn't a trivial or trendy fad to attract attention and critical acclaim; it really comes from a genuine belief and desire to find the latent properties that this set of terroirs can yield through the lens of each grape that is planted.