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 | 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 | 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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Mendoza | 1 | 98+ (WA) | HK$4,050.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98+)The nose of the 2012 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard almost made me fall from my chair. It is the expression of elegance and austerity coupled with strong minerality. 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 Malbec. In 2012 they fine tuned the élevage and fermentation, which was in rolling 500-liter barrels that were new in 2006 (so by then quite neutral), where the wine was kept for one more year and then transferred to 1,000-liter egg-shaped cement vats for one further year. This reminded me of my favorite Bordeaux, Lafleur, because of the elegance, the refinement of the tannins and length. It has citric, effervescent acidity that makes you salivate. Winemaker and Owner Alejandro Vigil has done a very strict selection of the soils in the field, and only kept the very center of the vineyard where the high density (12,000 plants per hectare) generates a lot of competition, because the plants from the borders have more space in the sides, which means in 2012 he could only fill 1,800 bottles. Awesome, and ultra fresh for a vintage like 2012. Bravo! |
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