Wine of the week: El Enemigo Cabernet Franc
the drinks business‘ ‘Wine of the week’ is a “revelation” of a high-altitude Cabernet Franc from Argentina’s El Enemigo.
Winemaker Alejandro Vigil, who co-founded the estate in 2009 alongside Adrianna Catena, said that he felt a “calling” from his mother and grandparents to go down the career route he chose.
“Actually, I’m not a winemaker,” he remarked in an interview with the drinks business, “I’m an agricultural engineer, and my vision has always been rooted in how beautiful it is to create food from a seed or a cutting.”
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“What makes me happiest is understanding the concept of social sustainability,” Vigil continued. “If everything around doesn’t work, nothing else can function. That’s why our work directly with the community, especially focused on schools – not just through food programmes, but also recreation, education and healthcare – feels like the future to me. A society that supports itself will naturally lead to environmental sustainability.”
El Enemigo Cabernet Franc 2021
- Producer: El Enemigo
- Region: Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza
- Country: Argentina
- Vintage: 2021
- Grape varieties: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec
- ABV: 13.5%
- Approximate retail price: £11
- Medal: Master
From grapes grown on deep calcareous soil interspersed with rocks in Gualtallary, Tupungato, in the northern part of the Uco Valley at an altitude of 1,470m, El Enemigo has produced a revelation. Almost opaque purple-black in hue, the wine has integrated dark berries with a touch of granite and hints of herbs. Well-integrated oak with smoke and cedar wood accent the rich, polished palate. Lively acidity and linen-textured tannins add structure. Harmonious, albeit youthful, wine with a long, warm finish, this will match marbled beef off a grill, or tender marinated ostrich steaks with sautéed chestnut mushrooms. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
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