El Enemigo Gran Enemigo 2017

Cellar for up to 12 years. Decant 1 hour before serving.

Founded by a winemaker and a historian, El Enemigo is an exciting venture which seeks to break the rules and create new expressions of the world’s top grape varieties with a characteristic Argentinian soul. In 2009 Catena Zapata’s chief winemaker Alejandro Vigil and historian Adrianna Catena, who is also Nicolas Catena’s youngest daughter, decided to make a wine together that would celebrate their shared love for literature, philosophy and tradition.

For the Gran Enemigo Alejandro combines time-honoured Mendoza winemaking techniques with his own experience. The grapes are sourced from high altitude vineyards in Tupungato which sit at up to 1470 metres above sea level. Following the harvest the grapes are fermented in French oak barriques and then matured for 18 months in special 3000 litre barrels which Alejandro has modelled on those used in Mendoza a century ago. To recreate these historic barrels he imported Alsatian barrels and then carefully reassembled them in Mendoza.

The result is a very special Bordeaux style blend with a distinctive Argentinian twist. The nose is remarkably complex with hints of bitter cocoa, licorice and rich dark berries while the first sip displays a generous full body, smooth tannins and very long finish with hints of sweet spice from the oak ageing. A great wine to drink now with hearty red meat dishes or to add to the cellar for another decade or so.