El Enemigo’s 2021 Cabernet Franc is a bold yet approachable red from high-altitude Gualtallary, Argentina. Juicy red and blue fruit meet chalky minerality, with a streamlined structure that makes it dangerously drinkable now—but it’s got the grip to age a few more years too.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 93
Published: Apr 16, 2024

A super-drinkable, linear cabernet franc showing a mixture of blue plums and red cherries with a fresh mineral quality. Juicy, fresh and expressive on the palate, with a medium body and a long, extensive finish. Streamlined, with nothing redundant. Pretty irresistible now, but can hold.

The Wine Advocate | RP 92+
Published: Nov 30, 2022
Drink: 2024-2029

The 2021 Cabernet Franc is similar to the 2019 I tasted next to it and feels like the fruit is darker than the 2020 that I also had the chance to compare it with. It's still young and energetic, with abundant fine-grained tannins and a chalky, dry finish. 23,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022.

There are some new wines at El Enemigo, a project from Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena that does not stop growing. They produce an impressive 1.2 million bottles between all the ranges. They are also going to plant some more vineyards with Chardonnay.

Enemigowines.com

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.

Vineyard
Gualtallary, Tupungato. Altitude: 4,822 ft (1470 m) elevation.

Type of Soil
Deep-calcareous, rocky soil.

Vinification
Wild yeast, max. temperature 28°C / 82°F for 22 days, with 28 days of maceration. 5 different harvest times (5 weeks between the first and the last one).

Aging
15 months in 100-year-old foudre.