El Enemigo (Aleanna), Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc other_regions_italy

El Enemigo (Aleanna), Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc other_regions_italyThe 2010 was a hard act to follow, and the 2011 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard had to fulfill great expectations. There is less color in this 2011 (I popped a bottle of the 2010 for comparison) and more notes reminiscent of Cabernet Franc (Alejandro Vigil harvested even earlier in 2010), because it is mostly Cabernet Franc from a very chalky vineyard in Gualtallary at 1,430 meters altitude that fermented together with a small percentage of

sour cherry and pepper

Otherwise there is first-rate volume

red roses and black tea

A brooding but notably ripe nose of dark cherry and pungent earth aromas slides gracefully into strikingly rich and tautly muscular big-bodied flavors that possess praiseworthy concentration

punch and mid-palate density to the muscular flavors that are also quite firmly structured but even so there is less youthful austerity than is typical for Clos de Vougeot

the voluptuous palate is framed by firm

Firm reduction renders the nose unreadable at present

Quintessential Bollinger bouquet

and in this powerful and ripe year

There is very good verve and punch to the detailed and mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that culminate in a focused

It's in a quiet place now but will open up again over time

palate coating and remarkably rich flavors possess an opulent mouth feel and serious power on the amazingly long and intense finish