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.

Prices: In Bond Inc. VAT

Year	Wine	Region	Format	Qty	Score	Price
El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2017 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £178.07
2017	El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2017 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	95 (TA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £178.07
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2016 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £346.07
2016	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2016 (6x75cl) 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. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	2	98 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £346.07
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2017 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £184.07
2017	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2017 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £184.07
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £178.07
2018	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018 (6x75cl) 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. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	2	97 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £178.07
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2019 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £130.07
2019	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2019 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	96 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £130.07
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2012 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £509.27
2012	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2012 (6x75cl) 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! Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98+ (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £509.27
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2015 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £505.67
2015	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2015 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) Powerful places tend to mark wines in a stronger way than even the vintage conditions or the grape variety, and that seems to be the case with the 2015 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard. But of course there are elements of both the year—slightly warmer and riper than 2016—and the grape—mostly Cabernet Franc with some 20% Malbec, which is what is planted in the vineyard, with the logical variations depending on the yields of each grape in a given vintage. This is a little more direct than the 2016, powerful and concentrated but balanced and fresh, and it has a little more tannin. As I said, this is more about the high altitude and austere place with all the components in great harmony. You do not notice the alcohol, concentration of tannins or acidity, as it's all very integrated. All these wines are not about fruit but about soils, about rocks. 3,000 bottles produced. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £505.67
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x150cl) Inc. VAT: £179.35
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x150cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	1x150cl	5	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £179.35
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x300cl) Inc. VAT: £347.92
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x300cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	1x300cl	2	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £347.92
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £518.87
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. 3 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	3	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £518.87
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2017 (6x75cl) Inc. VAT: £410.87
2017	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2017 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn't show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it's austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is super austere with vibrant acidity—by far the highest among the Gran Enemigo bottlings—and very fine, chalky tannins. This is remarkable, serious, balanced and fresh with a very, very long and salty finish. This fermented in barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 3,000 bottles were filled in July 2018. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. VAT: £410.87

Year	Wine	Region	Format	Qty	Score	Price
El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2017 (6x75cl) In Bond: £135.00
2017	El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2017 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	95 (TA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £135.00
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2016 (6x75cl) In Bond: £275.00
2016	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2016 (6x75cl) 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. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	2	98 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £275.00
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2017 (6x75cl) In Bond: £140.00
2017	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2017 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £140.00
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018 (6x75cl) In Bond: £135.00
2018	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018 (6x75cl) 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. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	2	97 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £135.00
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2019 (6x75cl) In Bond: £95.00
2019	El Enemigo Chardonnay 2019 (6x75cl) 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. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	96 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £95.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2012 (6x75cl) In Bond: £411.00
2012	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2012 (6x75cl) 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! Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98+ (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £411.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2015 (6x75cl) In Bond: £408.00
2015	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2015 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) Powerful places tend to mark wines in a stronger way than even the vintage conditions or the grape variety, and that seems to be the case with the 2015 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard. But of course there are elements of both the year—slightly warmer and riper than 2016—and the grape—mostly Cabernet Franc with some 20% Malbec, which is what is planted in the vineyard, with the logical variations depending on the yields of each grape in a given vintage. This is a little more direct than the 2016, powerful and concentrated but balanced and fresh, and it has a little more tannin. As I said, this is more about the high altitude and austere place with all the components in great harmony. You do not notice the alcohol, concentration of tannins or acidity, as it's all very integrated. All these wines are not about fruit but about soils, about rocks. 3,000 bottles produced. 2 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £408.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x150cl) In Bond: £145.00
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x150cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	1x150cl	5	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £145.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x300cl) In Bond: £281.00
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (1x300cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. Estimated Arrival to United Kingdom: 5-7 weeks	Mendoza	1x300cl	2	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £281.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (6x75cl) In Bond: £419.00
2016	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2016 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (99) The nose of the 2016 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard transported me back to the classical wines from the Bordeaux of yesteryear, with austerity and with no room for sweetness or creamy texture. This is about chalk and umami, salty and tasty, with the clout and wilderness of Gualtallary; its electric freshness and fine tannins; the expression of Cabernet Franc (with some Merlot) in the poor, stony and limestone-rich soils from the high-altitude vineyards; and the intensity this altitude provides, as there is a strong impact from the light in the grapes. But the one thing that I liked the most about this 2016 was its balance and the way it feels light but has tremendous concentration and power, light on its feet with masses of inner strength. It's nuanced and complex, even if it's terribly young. With time in the glass, it developed notes of orange peel that spoke of freshness, and the palate is sharp and direct, with symmetry and precision. This is approachable now but should live forever in bottle. 3 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	3	99 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £419.00
El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2017 (6x75cl) In Bond: £329.00
2017	El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2017 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) The 2017 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard didn't show any heat or excess ripeness from a warm and dry year. On the contrary, it's austere and has citrus acidity, with great freshness and minerality. The palate is super austere with vibrant acidity—by far the highest among the Gran Enemigo bottlings—and very fine, chalky tannins. This is remarkable, serious, balanced and fresh with a very, very long and salty finish. This fermented in barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in centenary oak foudres for 15 months. 3,000 bottles were filled in July 2018. 1 In Stock - Immediate Delivery	Mendoza	6x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: £329.00

El Enemigo

About El Enemigo

The Wines

Tim Atkin MW (95)

James Suckling (98)

James Suckling (98)

James Suckling (97)

James Suckling (96)

Wine Advocate (98+)

Wine Advocate (98)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (98)

Tim Atkin MW (95)

James Suckling (98)

James Suckling (98)

James Suckling (97)

James Suckling (96)

Wine Advocate (98+)

Wine Advocate (98)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (99)

Wine Advocate (98)