Kaiken Obertura Uco Valley Cabernet Franc 2018

Kaiken Obertura Uco Valley Cabernet Franc

Region: Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2018

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

Notes: Vegetarian, Vegan

This Cabernet Franc is intense ruby red in colour with elegant purple shades. The nose is complex, with aromas of ripe redcurrants, fresh plums and red pepper combined with spicy notes of black pepper, wild thyme and a hint of menthol. On the palate, it has beautiful fruit concentration balanced by fresh acidity and minerality, reflecting the high-altitude location of the vineyards. The long, elegant finish displays red fruit and spicy notes.

The grapes are sourced from Valle de Uco, one of Mendoza’s most renowned sub-regions. Kaiken’s vineyard, located in Las Chacayes, sits at 1,250 metres above sea level. Here, sunny days are followed by cool nights – this slows the growing season and allows Kaiken to obtain excellent grapes with wonderful freshness. The bush-trained vines are planted on deep soils which are mostly alluvial and are largely made up of pebbles and rocks.

Kaikenes are wild geese, native to Patagonia, that fly across the Andes between Chile and Argentina. In the same way, Montes, the Chilean winery, crossed the Andes to set up in Mendoza. Their vineyards are situated in the heart of Mendoza and further to the south in Valle de Uco, where many of the premium producers are now sourcing their fruit. The focus is primarily on Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety that has been somewhat forgotten as Malbec has surfed one wave of success after another in the past decade. As a result, there are many old vineyards in Mendoza that produce excellent fruit. Kaiken's own vineyards supply 70% of their production requirements and 30% is from vineyards that they control.