Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2021

EL ENEMIGO

Gran Enemigo Gualtallary
2021

$117.01*

* Suggested retail price

9 case(s) available

Product code
178481
Format
6 x 750ml
Listing type
Speculative
Status
Available
Type of product
Still wine
Country
Argentina
Regulated designation
Dénomination origine (DOC)
Region
Mendoza
Varietal(s)
Cabernet Franc 85 %
Malbec 15 %
Colour
Red
Sugar
Dry
Closure type
Cork
Producer's website
Click here

About this winery

El Enemigo, “the enemy”. The struggle that most defines us in our lives is the one that we wage with our selves. We are all our own worst enemies. This is the credo behind the name on the label. The wines of El Enemigo are enigmatic, charismatic, and verging on iconoclastic. In that way the wines reflect their maker, Alejandro Vigil, an almost Picasso-like personality. “Ale”, as he is known, is the head winemaker at the iconic Bodega Catena Zapata, but he has many loves. He consults,...

See the EL ENEMIGO detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

Vineyards: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot from Gualtallary, Tupungato, 1470 111 / 4,822 ft. High density (10.000 plants per hectare). Petit Verdot from Agrelo, 930 111 / 3051 ft.

Production notes

Fermentation in barrel, average temperature: 22°C. Cold maceration for 5 days. Averaoe maceration 23 days. 30% whole bunch. French oak barrels 2nd and 3rd use. 5 different harvest times (1,5 months between the first and the last one). 15 months in 100 year old foudre.

Press reviews

Wine Advocate

- 99 points -

May 2025 (Vintage 2021)

As difficult as it is to pick a winner between the Gualtallary and El Cepillo bottlings, the 2021 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard gets my nod as the supreme example of the Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Cabernet Francs. It hails from a plot planted on calcareous rocky soils in 1995 with 10,000 vines per hectare, fermented with 40% whole bunches in barrique and underwent a 15-month élevage in 100-year-old foudre. Opening with a brooding, inward and quietly perfumed nose, its aromatic profile ceaselessly expands to encompass all manner of herbal and floral complexity, combining simmering intensity with supreme elegance. The palate follows suit with a rich, silky, refined and gently succulent energy, releasing into a graceful, dense and glacial conclusion that gives equal measure to vertical energy and horizontal richness. The finish slowly but steadily builds upon itself, revealing shimmering acidity and ultra-refined tannins with increased aeration. There is no better example of Cabernet Franc's suitability in the Uco Valley, a match rendered here with incomparable finesse, depth and complexity.

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Vinous

- 98 points -

November 2024 (Vintage 2021)

Is it possible to create a wine with structure but without weight? The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary offers a remarkable answer to that apparent paradox, finding the solution in a balanced combination of terroir and careful cellar work. It's almost utopian—a mountain wine with the structure and character of high-altitude vineyards, yet with the agility and freshness of an oceanic red. Purple in hue, it opens with blackberry and plum, layered with mountain herbs, a hint of sour cherry, cassis and floral tones of violet and lavender. Dry and juicy, with a slightly compact feel, the wine glides across the palate with weightless grace, supported by fine, chalky tannins. This wine is a triumph.

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Tim Atkin MW

- 94 points -

2024 (Vintage 2021)

Fermented with 100% whole bunches, this blend of Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec hails from vineyards in Gualtallary at 1,470 metres. Curated in foudres and concrete vats, it has classic garrigue and jarilla top notes, impressive structure and acidity, savoury tannins, blackberry and green herb flavours and a chalky finish.

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James Suckling

- 93 points -

February 2024 (Vintage 2021)

Blue fruit with blackberries, violets, white roses and a touch of curry. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Rather reserved on the palate with a brightness.

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