Gran Enemigo

El Gran Enemigo bottle image

Wine Description

In the spectrum of people who pay attention to detail, winemakers are often incredibly detail-oriented.  This can sometimes spill over to become an internal battled, and, as Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena state, "We are our own worst enemy." El Enemigo pays homage to this internal struggle.

Alejandro Vigil
Adrianna
Aleanna Winery
Alejandro Vigil
Chacayes
Concrete Egg with Soil Map
Enemigo Vineyard
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Acclaim
“A dense and muscular red but shows fabulous texture and form. Full body, firm and velvety tannins and a length that is splendid and sophisticated. Needs two or three years to soften but so great.”
— James Suckling, May 2016
“The 2012 El Gran Enemigo is a blend of some 40% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, quite a different blend from the 2011 vintage, but also all from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. The idea for this blend is to only use grapes from limestone soils, always a blend, while the single vineyard from Gualtallary is basically a varietal Cabernet Franc. 2012 was a little cooler than 2011, but there's a lot more Malbec here, and there are less herbal aromas and more floral tones. There's hardly any oak in these wines now; they are aged in used, well-seasoned, neutral oak barrels and then transferred to cement vats. It feels purer, more defined, aromatic and subtle. This is really superb, with incredible citric acidity that makes you salivate. It keeps changing in the glass, one minute giving more herbal notes, the following minute turning floral, spicier, growing in the glass and developing new nuances. This is an impressive, age-worthy blend, with the telltale chalky tannins and a supple finish.”
— Luis Gutierrez, Dec 2016
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Varied
Elevation:
3000-5000 feet
Vines/acre:
4000
Yield/acre:
2.2 tons
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
30
Varietal composition:
80% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot
Fermentation container:
Oak Barrel
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
22 days
Fermentation temperature:
84.2 °F
Maceration technique:
Punch down and delestage
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Oak
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French and American oak
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
Age of Aging Container:
35% New
Length of bottle aging:
12 months
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.