El Enemigo : Gran Enemigo 2021

A fresh Argentine Red wine of rare refinement

The estate 
Created in 2010 by Adrianna Catena, historian and daughter of Nicolás Catena, and Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker of the renowned Bodega Catena Zapata since 2002, El Enemigo quickly established itself as a benchmark in Mendoza. Located in Lujan de Cuyo on high-altitude clay and limestone soils, the estate stands out for its bold specialization in cabernet franc, an atypical grape variety for the region. Under the current leadership of its two founders, El Enemigo produces Bordeaux-inspired wines that earned the Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2013 and 2019 a perfect 100-point score according to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

The vineyard 
Gran Enemigo comes from the Gualtallary vineyard, located in Tupungato in the Uco Valley at 1 470 meters altitude. This vineyard in Mendoza benefits from diversified soils according to the grape varieties: sandy-silty soils with a calcareous and rocky base for malbec, calcareous and rocky soils for cabernet franc, and deep sandy soils for cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

The vintage 
The 2021 vintage was characterized by relative freshness with slightly increased rainfall. The climatic conditions resulted in 15 % to 20 % fewer growing degree days compared to 2020, while maintaining normal yields for the red varieties. This particular weather allowed grapes of excellent quality and perfect health, offering great concentration, ripe skins, moderate sugars, and optimal acidity.

Winemaking and aging
Winemaking for the Gran Enemigo Red Blend 2021 takes place in concrete tanks with an average fermentation temperature of 22 °C. The process includes a 5-day cold soak followed by an average maceration of 23 days, with 30 % whole clusters. The harvest spans 6 weeks with 5 different picking dates. Aging is carried out over 16 months in concrete tanks.

Grape varieties 
Gran Enemigo 2021 from El Enemigo is a Blend of 50 % malbec, 30 % cabernet franc, 15 % cabernet sauvignon, and 5 % merlot.