El Enemigo : El Enemigo Malbec 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for El Enemigo Malbec 2023

Tasting

Colour

El Enemigo Malbec reveals an intense, dark and dense colour, with deep ruby to purple highlights, luminous and showing no trace of overripeness.

Nose

The nose opens with aromas of ripe black fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant, plum), accompanied by nuances of fresher red fruit. Delicate spicy notes, reminiscent of pepper or cinnamon, mingle with a floral touch of violet that brings freshness and complexity to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, this Malbec from the El Enemigo estate unveils a concentrated body carried by a lively structure. The tannins, firm yet well integrated, frame a fruity attack, while a sense of chalky minerality, inherited from the limestone soils of Gualtallary, adds further tension. The long finish extends with a return of black fruit and spice, along with a discreet saline touch.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine pairs ideally with red meats, lamb and game, particularly roasted, grilled or braised, as well as slow-cooked dishes and preparations in a reduced sauce. It also goes well with spicy cuisines of Mediterranean or North African inspiration, as well as with aged hard or semi-hard cheeses and grilled vegetables with slightly caramelised notes.

Serving and Cellaring

El Enemigo Malbec 2023 is best served at around 16-17°C, a temperature suited to structured red wines. Its concentration and tannic framework allow it to grace a fine table already today, while also offering favourable ageing potential over the next several years.

A Malbec from Mendoza with a Vertical, Mineral Expression

The Estate

El Enemigo was born in Mendoza, in Argentina, in the late 2000s, under the impetus of Adrianna Catena, historian and daughter of Nicolás Catena Zapata, and Alejandro Vigil, a winemaker who also heads Catena Zapata. Brought together within Bodega Aleanna, the two founders conceived a more personal and experimental project, focused on characterful wines that precisely express the high-altitude terroirs of Mendoza, far from conventional commercial codes.

The Vineyard

El Enemigo Malbec 2023 comes from vines located in Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley, in Mendoza. The soils here are deep, stony and predominantly limestone, rich in calcium carbonate. This combination of altitude and minerality gives the grapes a slow ripening, preserving acidity and giving rise to structured, vertical wines.

The Blend

This 2023 vintage mainly combines Malbec and Cabernet Franc from plots in Gualtallary, delivering a structured, precise profile marked by beautiful freshness.

Winemaking and Ageing

El Enemigo Malbec 2023 is vinified with indigenous yeasts, in an approach that favours transparency of terroir. Ageing takes place in multi-vintage French oak barrels, in order to limit the impact of new wood and preserve the freshness and mineral signature of Gualtallary.

Grape Varieties

Malbec, Cabernet Franc