El Enemigo
About El Enemigo
One of Argentina's most acclaimed wineries, El Enemigo has rocketed to superstardom in just a few short vintages. El Enemigo is a joint venture of two big names in Argentine wine - Catena's winemaker Alejandro Vigil and Dr Catena's younger daughter, Adrianna. These two were drawn together by a passion for creating more approachable and mineral-driven wines that are expressive of the nuances of Mendoza’s special terroirs.
Setting out to achieve what the pioneers of Napa Valley did in the 1970s and 1980s, and creating new wines in tiny quantities with the highest possible quality and critical acclaim, they are one now among the leading wine names in the whole of Argentina. The scores they are producing for their wines have already created a cult-like following amongst knowledgeable collectors.
The Wines
Catapulted to superstardom after achieving a perfect 100 points from The Wine Advocate with the Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2013, the Gran Enemigo range leads the way for their exceptional portfolio. Consisting of four stunning Cabernet Franc-based wines, these wines strive to express the high-altitude Mendoza terroirs of Agrelo, Chacayes, El Cepillo and Gualtallary. Every cuvée represents a genuinely rare Andean gem, with no more than 900 cases of each produced.
Alongside the focus on Cabernet Franc wines, the duo also endeavour to rejuvenate the workhorse Argentinian varietal, Bonarda, and produce a range of exquisite single-vineyard wines.
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Mendoza | 40 | 99 (WA) |
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Wine Advocate (99)There is a new top of the range produced with pure Malbec from a very small plot in the Cordón El Cepillo. It's a cool place with a small slope in a mostly flat vineyard with very different soils and angular stones in a place that has glacier moraine, which is completely different from the rest of the vineyard. It makes the grapes ripen much earlier and gives a very strict and stony wine with a textured palate with abundant dusty tannins. 2016 was a super cold and rainy year, and the 2016 As Bravas Malbec has only 12.5% alcohol and incredible freshness. It's only medium-bodied with gobsmacking balance and is incredibly harmonious, nuanced and subtle, with all that it needs for a very long life in bottle. This is serious, tight, austere and incredibly elegant. It matured in 2,000-liter oak foudres for some 60 months. It was bottled in April 2022. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 94 (VN) | HK$1,260.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)A Bonarda from El Mirador, Rivadavia, Mendoza, mixed with 15% Cabernet Franc and aged for 15 months in hundred-year-old foudres with low anhydrides by Alejandro Vigil. Bright purple in the glass. The nose displays intense notes of cherry and raspberry with a hint of sweet spices. In the mouth, the Franc brings structure and tension while the tannins are refined and polished. Flows with volume and a delicate acidity that compensates for the unripe portion of the grapes. A clear and expressive red full of easygoing, refreshing flavor. An accomplished wine. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 91 (WA) | HK$900.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (91)Despite having similar alcohol levels and acidity and freshness parameters, the 2020 Bonarda comes through as riper than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It reveals some earthy tannins and a faint rusticity, inherent to the variety. 25,000 bottles produced. |
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Mendoza | 100 | - |
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Mendoza | 1 | 94 (JS) | HK$820.00 | |||||
James Suckling (94)This has an intense nose of blue and dark fruit, dried lavender, clay, oyster shell, dried chili and burnt sage. Lemon zest, too. Medium-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Focused and driven. Try in 2024. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 94 (JS) | HK$685.00 | |||||
James Suckling (94)Aromas of spiced blue fruit with a gently floral edge, as well as light, earthy and stony aromas. This has such intriguing structure with fine, dense tannins, carrying ripe blue-fruit flavors in a fresh, succulent mode. Drinks like a good Morgon! Try now and for five years. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 94 (JS) | HK$990.00 | |||||
James Suckling (94)Perfumed nose of brambleberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, violets, cinnamon stick and tea leaves. It’s medium-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins and fresh acidity. Delicious dark-berry fruit with mineral undertones. Try in 2023. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 93 (VN) | HK$1,015.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)A Bonarda from an old vineyard planted in clay soils up to 12 feet deep in El Mirador, Rivadavia, aged for 12 months in old foudres. The nose is all raspberry and sour cherry plus hints of quince and herbs. Complex with a soft feel in the mouth, even though the tannins are a little sharp, bringing a pleasant roughness and lending a corrective vigor toward the end. A delicious take on wine from a warm climate. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 95 (JS) | HK$1,045.00 | |||||
James Suckling (95)This is very smoky and earthy with dried mushrooms and wet earth. Dried-citrus undertone. Medium-bodied, super long and fine. Meaty and fluid and gorgeous. Drink now. 3,000 bottles made from a small parcel of old vines. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 94 (JS) | HK$1,000.00 | |||||
James Suckling (94)Wild and earthy nose of bark, spiced cherries, ash, porcini and kaffir leaves. Deliciously savory with a medium body. Supple, creamy tannins. Juicy, meaty and delicious. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 93 (JS) | HK$4,280.00 | |||||
James Suckling (93)Aromas of dark fruit with fresh herbs and tile. Perfumed. Medium-to-full body, juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. Drink now. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 92 (VN) | HK$1,335.00 | |||||
Vinous (92)Dark red-ruby. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, violet and peppery herbs, the latter no doubt partly due to the use of 15% whole clusters for the fermentation; winemaker Alejandro Vigil noted that the stems were fully ripe in this vineyard in 2016). Tactile, juicy and suave, with its seamless flavors of blueberry, violet and bitter chocolate showing considerable finesse and building, palate-staining length. Vigil makes 8,000 cases of this Cabernet Franc, half of them for the local Argentina market. Very nicely balanced wine, not hugely complex but with real nobility of texture for the price. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 95 (TA) | HK$1,360.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)Made “like a flan”, according to Ale Vigil, this is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, with lots of whole bunches and aged in old wooden foudres. Zesty and fresh, with the low alcohol and focus that are a feature of El Enemigo style, it’s savoury and bright with salty minerality and graphite and green herb flavours. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 93+ (WA) | HK$1,220.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (93+)The elegant, spicy, peppery and floral 2018 Cabernet Franc contains 10% Malbec, as these varietal bottling are rarely 100% varietal. It has intense and pungent flavors reminiscent of freshly cracked black peppercorns and wild herbs. The ripeness is contained, and the wine has a surprisingly low pH that provides very good freshness and a vibrant palate, more so given the very fine tannins and the tasty flavors that lift up the finish. Superb Cabernet Franc at an unbeatable price. 26,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019 after 15 months in centenary oak foudres. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 93 (TA) | HK$1,380.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (93)Co-fermented with 10% Malbec for added layers and nuances, this stylish Cabernet Franc has enticing aromas of rose petal and orange peel, fleshy, textured red cherry and bramble fruit, a grassy undertone and serious, well-structured underlying tannins. |
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Mendoza | 4 | 93 (VN) | HK$950.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2020 Cabernet Franc incorporates a 10% touch of Malbec and originates from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. It underwent a 15-month aging process in used foudres. It's a dark and intense purple color. The nose reveals notes of ashes and herbs, interwoven with a subtle hint of jalapeño, set against a backdrop of black fruit and cedar. Dry and delicately lean, the palate is tightly structured and juicy, thanks to its fine-grained tannins. The vibrant palate concludes with a lingering thyme finish. |
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Mendoza | 100 | 92+ (WA) |
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Wine Advocate (92+)The 2021 Cabernet Franc is similar to the 2019 I tasted next to it and feels like the fruit is darker than the 2020 that I also had the chance to compare it with. It's still young and energetic, with abundant fine-grained tannins and a chalky, dry finish. 23,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$2,265.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)The varietal blend of the 2016 Gran Enemigo is slightly different from the 2015, there's a bit more Cabernet Franc and less Cabernet Sauvignon, so 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine is fresher and more nuanced than the 2015, and there is clout and power but also a lot of finesse and elegance. The palate revealed superb harmony and very fine tannins, the acidity is very integrated and the wine is seamless, with fine chalky minerality and a bitterness in the finish that is salty rather than sweet. There is no room for sweetness in any of these wines; these are savory wines, powerful wines with superb balance and all the ingredients to develop slowly and for a very long time in bottle and destined for the dining table. It fills your mouth, but it's not heavy; it's powerful but feels ethereal. This is probably the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 19,200 bottles were filled in December 2018 from a shorter crop than previous years. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) | HK$2,610.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)A refined, medium-to full-bodied red with aromas of blackberry, bitter chocolate, violets, tar and tobacco. Ultra fine tannins, interwoven with silky and seamless layers of dark berries. So elegant and fine. Long. Serious and focused with fantastic depth and structure. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 60 | 95 (WA) |
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Wine Advocate (95)Tasting three vintages, I see great regularity in the blended Gran Enemigo. The 2020 Gran Enemigo was produced with 50% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot from Gualtallary, going back to the usual blend. The wine shows exceptionally well, as some wines can show a bit ripe and sometimes fatigued in this warmer year, but this is fresh and lively, expressive and with a solid palate with restraint and balance and no excess. The texture is velvety from very fine tannins, and there's juicy fruit with no concession for sweetness. It has similar parameters to the other vintages I tasted next to it, with 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.4. This is still very young. 24,000 bottles were filled in July 2021. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) | HK$3,280.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)Superb focus and intensity with blueberry, blackberry, wet earth and dried spice. Some bark. Full body, very fine tannins and beauty. Vivid and bright. Drink in 2018 but outstanding quality now. A a blend of 85% cab franc with 15% malbec. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (DC) | HK$5,085.00 | |||||
Decanter (97)The cool 2016 vintage allowed for sophisticated wines with precise freshness in Luján de Cuyo. This blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec by Alejandroi Vigil is heady and compelling, with an abundance of layers. A truly stunning wine. |
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Mendoza | 3 | 96 (JS) | HK$2,350.00 | |||||
James Suckling (96)A full-bodied red with aromas of black cherry, blueberry, chocolate orange and hazelnut. Velvety, finely-integrated tannins support a deep core of spiced dark fruit. Wonderfully concentrated and flavorful, yet balanced and fresh. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) | HK$2,950.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)A spicy cabernet franc full of red fruit, iodine, wet stones, white pepper and oyster shells. Full-bodied but nicely austere on the palate with chalky tannins and a linear finish. Tannins are super tight yet tense and dissolved. Mineral-driven finish. 50% whole bunch. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 40 | 95 (WA) |
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Wine Advocate (95)The 2020 Gran Enemigo Agrelo Single Vineyard is a blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec from a 40-year-old vineyard by the Catena winery. It fermented in concrete and some barrels and matured in large old foudres for 15 months. It has 13.5% alcohol and good freshness. At Agrelo, you always get spices, clove and herbs, berries and flowers, and the élevage provides some toasted and smoky undertones. This is tasty and with very fine tannins. It's mostly Cabernet Franc, mentioned on the label, but it also contains 15% Malbec that matured in two ancient oak foudres for 15 months. 7,200 bottles were filled July 2021. |
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Mendoza | 1 | - | HK$2,725.00 | |||||
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Each case contains one bottle of each:
More Info
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Agrelo 2016 (1x75cl) El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Chacayes 2016 (1x75cl) El Enemigo Gran Enemigo El Cepillo 2016 (1x75cl) El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x75cl) |
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Mendoza | 1 | 99 (JS) | HK$2,880.00 | |||||
James Suckling (99)Such impressive, rich aromas of berries, cherries and plums with blackberries and violets, too. An enticing fusion of freshness and deep intensity. The palate has a super succulent and contained feel with immaculately smooth, plush tannins. So long, pure and full of life. Like a top St.-Emilion! Cabernet franc with 15% malbec. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$2,555.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)The more austere 2017 Gran Enemigo Chacayes Single Vineyard was produced with Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec from a low-yielding and early harvest of plants at 1,100 meters in altitude. The fermentations for the Enemigo wines are always with indigenous yeasts and with some whole clusters, and in 2017, it was 100% (for all the single-vineyard wines) and aged in old oak foudres to avoid excessive aromas of oak or toast. The palate reveals some austerity too, but it has pungent flavors and piercing acidity and a very tasty, almost salty finish. This is also truly impressive, outstanding for a year like 2017 and among the best Chacayes ever. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2018. |
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Mendoza | 40 | 96 (WA) |
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Wine Advocate (96)In some wines, I favored the 2018 against the 2020, as 2020 was warmer and the wines could be riper. But in the case of the 2020 Gran Enemigo Chacayes Single Vineyard, it shows very good finesse and quality of tannins that give it a velvety mouthfeel. These wines are in the style of a great Bordeaux, young and serious, powerful and ripe but with very good freshness and, in some cases, with some chalky tannins from the limestone in the soils. Such is the case with this wine, where the soils have plenty of stones but also limestone. 7,200 bottles were filled in July 2021. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 96 (WA) | HK$3,545.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96)One of two new single-vineyard Cabernet Francs first produced in 2012 is the 2012 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a place that will soon should get its own appellation in the San Carlos district of the Valle de Uco. This is sourced from a vineyard at 1,450 meters with colluvial soils of glacial origin, with pink granite and some limestone of marine origin, as there are marine fossils. The palate is incredibly linear, sharp and austere, with the texture of stones and some aromas of graphite. There are minor traces of oak, but they are very subtle, perhaps only noticeable when tasting it next to the other single vineyards. This is austere and mineral, and it should develop beautifully in bottle. This is a superb addition to the already exceptional portfolio of Aleanna. 2,000 bottles. |
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