Bonarda La Esperanza
2020
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,...
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Perfumed nose of brambleberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, violets, cinnamon stick and tea leaves. It’s medium-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins and fresh acidity. Delicious dark-berry fruit with mineral undertones.
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Blackberry, red-plum and graphite on the nose, as well as herbal and smoky notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins. Fleshy texture on the palate with structure and a ink-like feel. Savory finish. Hints of chocolate at the end. Try after 2023.
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La Esperanza is part of winemaker Alejandro Vigil's attempt to restore importance to the old bonarda vines that are planted in eastern Mendoza. Under the shadow of Uco or Luján de Cuyo, this is a warm area with generous soils that yield large quantities of grapes. But by managing the vineyard, restricting volumes, and harvesting earlier, they can obtain bonarda like this one, with a firm tannic structure and tense acidity as well as the variety’s classic lush and generous black fruit flavors.
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Exuberantly bright nose that’s not shy of fruit. Red plums, cherries, hibiscus and a touch of sweet spices extend to a juicy, medium- to full-bodied palate with chalky tannins. Quite persistent finish that lasts almost a minute
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The unusually pale and aromatic 2018 Bonarda Single Vineyard La Esperanza was produced with grapes from San Martín in the east of Mendoza on deep, sandy and clay soils that seem to deliver great finesse. It's only 13.5% alcohol and with very good freshness, to the point that it made it feel a bit like Pinot Noir. It's floral and expressive, elegant and soft, with some developed flavors and aromas. It's juicy, long and nicely textured with very round tannins. Quite surprising, awesome even! 6,200 bottles were filled in June 2019 after 12 months in an ancient oak foudre.
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A deep, stony, mineral bonarda with red cherries, blue fruit, graphite and some grilled herbs. Tight and juicy on the palate with firm but resolved tannins and a long, linear finish. Lovely austerity here
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The cool 2021 season seems to have given energy and shine to El Enemigo's single-vineyard bonardas. This La Esperanza is another good example of a juicy bonarda that's rich in acidity and generous in sharp tannins accompanied by the variety's classic aromas and flavors of sweet blackberries as well as fresher red fruits. A brighter side of the variety that, in this case, comes from old vineyards in the San Martín area, planted on sandy soils.
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The 2020 Bonarda is a blend featuring 15% Cabernet Franc and originates from El Mirador in Rivadavia and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. It underwent a 15-month aging process in used foudres. A purple hue. The nose offers notes of raspberry and blackberry, combined with nuances of ashes and blood orange. Dry and juicy, the palate flows with a supple texture and fine-grained, light tannins that linger on the black fruit flavors. This represents a contemporary style of Bonarda.
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The 2019 Bonarda Single Vineyard La Esperanza has a bright purple color, denoting youth and freshness, and it's juicy and has a more elegant texture than most of the other single-vineyard Bonarda bottlings. It was produced with grapes from San Martín in the east of Mendoza on deep, sandy and clay soils that seem to deliver great finesse. It has 13.5% alcohol and reveals very good freshness. 7,700 bottles were filled in June 2020 after 12 months in an ancient oak foudre.
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Despite having similar alcohol levels and acidity and freshness parameters, the 2020 Bonarda comes through as riper than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It reveals some earthy tannins and a faint rusticity, inherent to the variety.
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