Argentina's Enemigo Winery Is at the Top of Their Game
The wines from El Enemigo are some of the very best from Argentina—and, I would say, in the world. The easiest way for me to justify this statement is to make a sports comparison. When athletes are at the pinnacle of their sport, they make what they do seem effortless and simple. And the very best can take that to the next level—to me, it is almost like magic. All the wines from El Enemigo are like that for me, they are elite!
Every level of El Enemigo’s production is done with such skill and understanding that the final wines come across as effortless. These are wines that take something that we already understand—Malbec and Chardonnay—and present them back to us in an almost ideal form. They are not recreating the wheel, or trying to change the game; what stands out is the deft expression of their terroir—you know this is fruit comes from Gualtallary and nowhere else. The vineyards are planted at higher elevation, closer to the Andes, in soils that have more calcium carbonate in them. You can taste and feel that in the wine—but nothing is forced; they are effortless. And that is just their entry-level wines. The Gran Enemigo wines are on a completely different level. These are wines that are ready to compete with the best of the best, and they are doing it with an unexpected variety, Cabernet Franc. This was a venture that started based on a mutual love of that variety. It might be surprising to hear this, but Mendoza is an incredible place for the Cabernet Franc. The altitude and the climate tame what can, in other regions, be a pronounced “green” element. The Gran Enemigo line of wines is an Argentine twist on some of the most classic Right Bank wines. I think that they should be considered in that context too—these are not Malbec (though they do have Malbec in them); these are wines of power, poise, and terroir presented to us by the extraordinarily skilled crew at this winery. These are wines for tonight and for the cellar.
This is Argentina, so the conversation must start here with the 2020 El Enemigo Malbec Mendoza $21.99 94VN 92WA 92JS 92TA As I stated above, this is elevated Malbec. There is more wine here than you would expect for the money, with no superfluous winemaking. The nose is deep and pure. Cherry is the dominant fruit tone with underlying plum, pluot, and dark berry notes. There is a soft violet lift along that is tempered with mountain herbs and scrub note, subtle spice, and an earthy stony undertone. The palate has a ripe core of fruit; it is still cherry-driven but those darker fruit and berries hold more sway. This is a Malbec with structure, the tannins are soft and present, and there is a fresh and lively edge to its acidity. There is just enough presence and tension, but there are no edges. This glides over your tongue. It finishes with pluots and dark berries, with a hint of bitter herbs and dusty stones. This is a next-level wine. It has polish, depth, and purity with zero pretension. This has the charm and ease that you expect from Malbec with the depth and sophistication that El Enemigo brings to all their wines.
2021 El Enemigo Chardonnay Mendoza $21.99 97JS 94VN 94WA 94DS 93TA This has become one of the all-time great wines from Argentina, and it is white! This is a Chardonnay that does things that no other Chardonnay in the price range can do. This delivers body, texture, purity, tension, freshness, and complexity. This wine effortlessly does what wines fail to do; it appeals to the enthusiasts along the entire spectrum from California Chardonnay diehards to ultra-specific terroir-driven Burgundy hounds. It doesn’t seem like a wine could exist that does that, but here it is—and it is an incredible value! And since it is El Enemigo, it also has a very clear sense of place. This has a unique underlying minerality that speaks to the high-desert terroir it comes from.
2017 Bodegas Aleanna "Gran Enemigo" Cabernet Franc Agrelo $74.99 96WA 96JS 95DS 94VN 94TA As you can see by the name this was crafted before the very smart rebranding decision. This works out perfectly for us because this wine has benefited from the extra time in the bottle. What is always captivating to me with these wines is the texture. This is where I think the ultimate skill of this winery is shown. These wines put them in the pantheon of greatest wines in the world. This is where the gap “knowing” how a wine is made and “understanding” exists for me. This wine feels like luxury and tastes fantastic.