Grapy berry and cassis aromas on the nose of this wine include a wild note of animal hide along with oaky aromas of burnt toast and tarry asphalt. A lively palate boasts size as well as edgy tartaric cut, tasting of black plum, blackberry, graphite and burnt wood. Toasty oak, mint and licorice notes stand out on the finish.\n \n Producer Information\n \n El Enemigo is a cult wine producer based in the high-altitude wine region of Mendoza, Argentina. The estate is a joint venture by Adrianna Catena and Alejandro Vigil, chief winemaker at renowned Bodega Catena Zapata since 2002. The pair created El Enemigo ("the enemy") and the Bodega Aleanna winery in 2007 and quickly garnered critical acclaim for their Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Cabernet Franc. The estate focuses on traditional winemaking techniques and produces two wine ranges: Gran Enemigo and El Enemigo. The El Enemigo range is largely devoted to varietal wines made from Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Bonarda and Chardonnay, in addition to a Syrah - Viognier blend. The Chardonnay is produced in a style reminiscent of Jura's Vin Jaune, where a layer of yeast, or voile, forms and protects the wine from oxidizing further. The grapes for the single-vineyard Gualtallary Gran Enemigo are cultivated in calcareous, rocky soils 1470 meters (4800ft) above sea level, while those for the Agrelo are planted in clay-rich soils at an altitude of 930m (3050ft). These are inspired by the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, though there Cabernet Franc usually plays a suporting role to Merlot. For both of these wines, however, the typical blend is 85 percent Cabernet Franc and 15 percent Malbec. The standard Gran Enemigo wine blends grape varieties grown at both vineyard sites. Malbec accounts for about half of the blend with the remainder taken up by other Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
