El Enemigo, meaning enemy in Spanish, is one of the countless projects led by the Argentinian Catena family. In 2009, Adrianna, Nicolás Catena Zapata’s fourth daughter, and winemaker Alejandro Vigil founded this estate in Mendoza. It sits on a bed of limestone and Andean alluvial soil, creating an oasis of freshness in the furnace that is Mendoza. In the face of difficulties, they live by the mantra that “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”.
True to their roots, the winemakers planted French, Burgundian, Italian and Argentinian varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Torrontés and Bonarda. And they let the terroirs speak for themselves, because as Alejandro puts it, “it’s the land that counts in a good wine”. So the mix of Argentinian and French techniques, with drip irrigation, spontaneous fermentation, vinification in concrete eggs and mature barrels create amazingly rich and fruity wines.

Consisting of a majority of Cabernet Franc and a small percentage of Malbec, the cuvée reflects the rocky arid landscapes of the Uco Valley to the south-east of Mendoza in Argentina. At an altitude of 1430 metres, the grapes grow on limestone soils, contributing all the freshness and tension that characterise the wine. Once harvested, the destalked Cabernet Franc grapes and 30% whole bunches of Malbec ferment together. The fruit grown in the chalkiest soils undergo carbonic maceration before being pressed and fermented in French barrels of two and three wines. The wine is then carefully aged in French oak foudres (large tuns) for around seven months.
The rich purple colour reveals an elegant nose with vegetal and spicy notes from the Cabernet Franc mingling with the black fruit flavours of the Malbec. On the palate, the fine texture reveals a fine balance of controlled acidity and structured tannins, leading to an intense, mineral finish.