{"title":"El Enemigo, Mendoza, Argentina","description":"\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEl Enemigo\u003c\/strong\u003e was born from a single conversation on a winter's evening in London in 2009, when two Argentinian friends decided to build something entirely their own. \u003cstrong\u003eAlejandro Vigil\u003c\/strong\u003e, Chief Winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata since 2002 and one of the most decorated winemakers in the Southern Hemisphere, and \u003cstrong\u003eAdrianna Catena\u003c\/strong\u003e, youngest daughter of the legendary Nicolás Catena Zapata and a historian with a doctorate from Oxford, shared a mutual obsession: high-altitude Cabernet Franc in the style of old Pomerol. At a time when Mendoza was defined by heavy, extracted Malbec, this was a deliberate act of creative rebellion. The name \u003cstrong\u003eEl Enemigo\u003c\/strong\u003e, meaning \u003cstrong\u003e\"The Enemy,\"\u003c\/strong\u003e speaks to the internal battle that defines us:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"At the end of the journey, we remember only one battle: the one we fought against ourselves.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:align-top\"\u003eThe estate draws on \u003cstrong\u003efour single-vineyard sites across Mendoza\u003c\/strong\u003e, ranging from 900m to 1,470m above sea level, \u003cstrong\u003ewith the crown jewel being a plot within the Catena family's Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, Tupungato, arguably Argentina's most celebrated terroir.\u003c\/strong\u003e Here, calcareous rocky soils, extreme altitude, and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings produce grapes of extraordinary precision, acidity, and concentration. Each site brings a distinct personality: the mineral power of \u003cstrong\u003eGualtallary\u003c\/strong\u003e, the structured complexity of \u003cstrong\u003eLos Chacayes\u003c\/strong\u003e, the intensity of \u003cstrong\u003eEl Cepillo\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the warmer, riper character of \u003cstrong\u003eAgrelo\u003c\/strong\u003e in Luján de Cuyo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:align-top\"\u003eVigil's winemaking philosophy is built on restraint and transparency. Wines are fermented with \u003cstrong\u003eindigenous yeasts\u003c\/strong\u003e, often incorporating \u003cstrong\u003ewhole clusters\u003c\/strong\u003e, and aged exclusively in \u003cstrong\u003e100-year-old Alsatian oak foudres\u003c\/strong\u003e, a deliberate nod to the original European immigrant winemakers of Mendoza who used the same material over a century ago. There is \u003cstrong\u003eno fining, no filtering, and minimal sulphu\u003c\/strong\u003er. The result is wines that feel simultaneously ancient in their rootedness and completely alive in their freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:align-top\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe critical reception has been historic.\u003c\/strong\u003e The Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2013 received the first-ever \u003cstrong\u003e100-point\u003c\/strong\u003e score awarded to a South American wine by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and remains the highest score ever given to a pure Cabernet Franc anywhere in the world. Further perfect scores have followed across the single-vineyard range, and the estate has been ranked in the \u003cstrong\u003eTop 20 of The World's 50 Best Vineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e. Across two tiers, the entry-level El Enemigo range and the prestige Gran Enemigo single-vineyard bottlings, the wines offer one of the most compelling arguments for Argentine fine wine available today.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2023-chardonnay-el-enemigo","title":"2023 Chardonnay, El Enemigo","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMountain Rebel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is Chardonnay with altitude, tension and a wonderfully dramatic streak. Lemon peel, green apple and white peach come through first, followed by a savoury edge of toasted spice, sea salt and flint. It feels generous without being heavy, with a creamy texture held beautifully in check by bright acidity and a long, mineral finish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor when\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou want a white wine with real presence, but still plenty of lift and freshness.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePairs with\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoast chicken, crab linguine, grilled prawns, mushroom risotto or creamy cheeses.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf this wine were…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA sharp white shirt worn under a velvet dinner jacket.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEl Enemigo is the collaboration between Adrianna Catena and Alejandro Vigil, one of Argentina’s most celebrated winemaking minds. Based in Mendoza, the project has become known for wines that balance intellectual depth with sheer drinking pleasure. This Chardonnay comes from the heights of Gualtallary, where cool mountain air and limestone-rich soils give the wine its vivid freshness, saline edge and unmistakable sense of place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wine Republic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54799827992961,"sku":null,"price":23.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0916\/0513\/9841\/files\/2023Chardonnay_ElEnemigo.png?v=1780746657"},{"product_id":"2021-gran-enemigo-red-blend-el-enemigo","title":"2021 Gran Enemigo Red Blend, El Enemigo","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"100\" data-end=\"192\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"146\" data-end=\"190\"\u003eOr as we call it – “The Rebel Masterpiece”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"194\" data-end=\"682\"\u003eDeep garnet in the glass, this is a wine that makes a statement before the first sip. Aromas of blackcurrant, plum, graphite and violets rise from the glass, joined by savoury notes of cedar, mocha, and spice. The palate is powerful yet poised with concentrated dark fruit wrapped in fine, chalky tannins and a mineral backbone that reflects its high-altitude Andean vineyards. Layered, complex and beautifully balanced, it finishes long and pure, with that unmistakable El Enemigo energy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"684\" data-end=\"930\"\u003eFor when: the dinner’s important, or you just want to drink something extraordinary.\u003cbr data-start=\"768\" data-end=\"771\"\u003ePairs with: grilled ribeye, venison, or anything deserving of real attention.\u003cbr data-start=\"848\" data-end=\"851\"\u003eIf this wine were a mood, it’d be quiet confidence with a glint of rebellion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"932\" data-end=\"1301\"\u003eA collaboration between winemaker \u003cstrong data-start=\"966\" data-end=\"985\"\u003eAlejandro Vigil\u003c\/strong\u003e and historian \u003cstrong data-start=\"1000\" data-end=\"1019\"\u003eAdrianna Catena\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"1021\" data-end=\"1035\"\u003eGran Enemigo\u003c\/em\u003e is Argentina’s benchmark Bordeaux-style blend with Cabernet Franc leading the charge, supported by Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Each vineyard is vinified separately, then aged under flor in large oak barrels to create complexity and tension.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wine Republic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54799850078593,"sku":null,"price":59.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0916\/0513\/9841\/files\/2021GranEnemigoRedBlend_ElEnemigo.png?v=1762288224"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.wine-republic.co.uk\/collections\/el-enemigo.oembed","provider":"Wine Republic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}