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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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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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 | 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 | 3 | 93+ (WA) | HK$1,388.00 | |||||
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 | 1 | 98 (JS) | HK$3,000.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)This is really amazing with an exotic dried-fruit character of pineapple and mangoes. Full-bodied, rich and fruity with cream, pie-crust and caramel character. Crazy chardonnay with a little Jura style and some flor undertones. It really does have flor in the barrel when aging. Love. Get it. Drink now. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (JS) | HK$1,380.00 | |||||
James Suckling (98)A tight and beautiful white with a dense palate of beautiful, ripe lemons and apples. Layered and refined with phenolic tension. Complex yeast and hints of oak and flor. Full body. Great length. 80 per cent flor-growth in barrel. Drink now. |
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Mendoza | 47 | 97 (JS) | HK$1,199.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)This is another rock-star chardonnay from here with dried-apple, pear-skin, crushed-stone and peach-pit character. Full body. Creamy texture. Phenolic form and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 5 | 96 (JS) | HK$1,160.00 | |||||
James Suckling (96)Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste. Always great quality for the price. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 96 (JS) | HK$1,090.00 | |||||
James Suckling (96)This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 97 (JS) | HK$1,500.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$2,449.00 | |||||
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 | 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$3,990.00 | |||||
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 | 4 | - | HK$3,000.00 | |||||
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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 | 1 | 97+ (WA) | HK$2,560.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97+)These single-vineyard bottlings are like a snapshot of the place, and the 2016 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard capture the wilderness and the (scarce) local vegetation of the place: thyme, rosemary, rockrose—austere and perfumed but not exotic. The cracked black peppercorn note on the palate reminded me that this is (mostly) a Cabernet Franc, with its fine-grained tannins and its long and dry finish. 2016 was an unusual year, with lots of rain and cooler temperatures that complicated things in many places, but it was exceptional in many high-altitude locations within the Valle de Uco where El Cepillo is. This is both powerful and delicate, while the 2015 is more direct. This is simply superb. 4,000 bottles were filled in late 2018. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (VN) | HK$2,580.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)The 2017 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard El Cepillo is Cabernet Franc blended with 15% of Malbec from the aforementioned GI to the south of the Uco Valley. The wine was 30% fermented in whole bunches before aging for 15 months in barrels and foudres. Rich, bright purple in color. The nose offers ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with hints of jarilla and ash. On the palate, the wine is defined by freshness without compromising on intensity or tannins, which bring substance, volume and grip. Toward the end, the fruit is precise and texture insistent, as though cinched at the waist. A long-lasting, terroir driven wine. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$5,325.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)The nose of the 2018 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a low-yielding and drier year, is full of curry, a note that was a constant across the three vintages I tasted together, but it tends to be stronger in low-yielding and dry years like this. It's also floral and comes through as aromatic and a little exotic, in a good way, with elegance, persistence and very pure flavors. It has fine-grained tannins, great acidity and balance. 7,200 bottles. All these single-vineyard bottlings mature in ancient 4,000-liter oak foudres for some 15 months. |
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