It is always exciting to see high performing wines arriving on the market. This week we are pleased to introduce El Enemigo from Lujan de Cuyos, Mendoza, Argentina. Founded by Adrianna Catena and Alejandro Vigil in 2010, this estate is definitely one to watch!
El Enemigo’s Story
It all started in London. Following a dinner to celebrate Nicolás Catena becoming the 2009 Decanter Man of the Year, Adrianna and Alejandro decided to start a new project which will focus on producing high-altitude Cabernet Francs on the clayey and limestone soils of Lujan de Cuyo.
Alejandro has been Head Winemaker at Catena Zapata since 2002, while Adrianna (Nicolas Catena’s daughter) became a wine affectionado when enjoying top Bordeaux, including Ch Cheval Blanc, with her father. Because growing Cabernet Franc is atypical for the region, they named the winery ‘El Enemigo’ which means the enemy. Their efforts were rewarded with both the 2013 and 2019 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary receiving the perfect 100 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
Each bottle they make has the following quote showing on the label: ‘At the end of the journey, we remember only one battle: the one we fought against ourselves, the original enemy, the one that defined us.’
High Altitude Cabernet Franc
Their Cabernet Francs pay tributes to old Pomerol style. They have selected four single-site vineyards with specific micro-climates at altitudes between 900 and 1,500m above the sea. Due to the elevation, the vines receive long hours of sunshine and benefit from a wide temperature variation between day and night so the grapes can ripen fully while retaining high acid levels, the key to make elegant and balanced wines. They also use large old oak foudres to mature their wines so they can reflect their terroirs.
‘Year after year I try to express the purity of the fruit and the soil, and that’s another reason why in the cellar I use concrete eggs, old foudres and barrels of various sizes and ages.’ - Alejandro Vigil
2021 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary
85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Malbec
Sourced from calcareous rocky soils at 1,470m a.s.l.
Barrel fermented and aged for 15 months in 100-year-old foudres
Drinking window: 2024-2041
Only 9,000bt produced
“Is it possible to create a wine with structure but without weight? The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary offers a remarkable answer to that apparent paradox, finding the solution in a balanced combination of terroir and careful cellar work. It's almost utopian—a mountain wine with the structure and character of high-altitude vineyards, yet with the agility and freshness of an oceanic red. Purple in hue, it opens with blackberry and plum, layered with mountain herbs, a hint of sour cherry, cassis and floral tones of violet and lavender. Dry and juicy, with a slightly compact feel, the wine glides across the palate with weightless grace, supported by fine, chalky tannins. This wine is a triumph.” – 98 pts Vinous
“As difficult as it is to pick a winner between the Gualtallary and El Cepillo bottlings, the 2021 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard gets my nod as the supreme example of the Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Cabernet Francs. It hails from a plot planted on calcareous rocky soils in 1995 with 10,000 vines per hectare, fermented with 40% whole bunches in barrique and underwent a 15-month élevage in 100-year-old foudre. Opening with a brooding, inward and quietly perfumed nose, its aromatic profile ceaselessly expands to encompass all manner of herbal and floral complexity, combining simmering intensity with supreme elegance. The palate follows suit with a rich, silky, refined and gently succulent energy, releasing into a graceful, dense and glacial conclusion that gives equal measure to vertical energy and horizontal richness. The finish slowly but steadily builds upon itself, revealing shimmering acidity and ultra-refined tannins with increased aeration. There is no better example of Cabernet Franc's suitability in the Uco Valley, a match rendered here with incomparable finesse, depth and complexity.” – 99 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
2021 Gran Enemigo Los Chacayes
85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Malbec
Sourced from alluvial and limestone soils at 1,100m a.s.l.
Barrel fermented and aged for 15 months in 100-year-old foudres
Drinking window: 2024-2036
Only 7,200bt produced
“'The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Los Chacayes Single Vineyard is quite simply a “wow” wine that nearly defies description. The incredible perfume of violet and white pepper invites one in first, followed by crisp, complex layers of cassis and currant. Then there's tension and a punch of acidity, adding length, grace, and structure. It's the aging potential of another 20-30 years that ultimately puts a halo over it all that speaks most forcefully to the greatness of this wine.”– 100 pts Virginie Boone, Jeb Dunnuck
“The cool 2021 vintage brought nuanced layers to this blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec, harvested from Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley. The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Chacayes, aged for one year, offers a delightful mix of intensity and complexity. Deep purple in color, it presents mountain herb, violet, ripe plum, blackberry and pink grapefruit aromas, balanced by a backdrop of light ash from the aging process. Juicy, compact and with polished tannins, the wine glides over the palate with a gentle, structured flow. Long and flavorful, this is an exceptional mountain red.” – 96 pts Vinous