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.

Home to some of the world’s most famous and iconic red wines, Argentina also successfully captures the purest essence of Chardonnay. The grapes grow in the superb Gualtallary parcels in Mendoza, at an altitude of around 1400 metres. The cool nights combined with plenty of daylight ensure that the grapes ripen evenly and perfectly. In the winery, the cuvée is covered by a thin veil of yeast or flour and aged in oak casks for around ten months. This unique process allows the Chardonnay to develop delicious notes of almond and dried fruit.
The bright, clear yellow colour is complemented by a nose marked by aromas of dried fruit such as hazelnut and almond, mingled with subtle hints of candied fruit. On the palate, aromas of candied citrus and tropical fruit balance perfectly with a fine salinity, leading to a lightly toasted, elegant finish.