El Enemigo Chardonnay 2021

This wine can be cellared for up to 10 years. Serve it chilled.

El Enemigo is the brainchild of Alejandro Vigil, chief winemaker at Catena Zapata, and Adrianna Catena, historian and youngest daughter of Nicolas Catena. This captivating Argentinian project embodies their shared passion for history, philosophy, and literature, resulting in innovative, boundary-pushing wines that possess an authentic Argentinian spirit.

This distinctive Chardonnay is sourced from exceptional vineyards in Mendoza’s Gualtallary sub-region, situated at 1400-1500 meters above sea level. This high altitude ensures cool nights even during the summer months, along with abundant sunshine, which allows the grapes to ripen evenly and slowly. In the winery, Alejandro employs an unconventional technique commonly practiced in France’s Jura wine region, covering the young wine with a thin veil of flour or yeast and allowing it to age in old oak barrels for 10 months.

This unique process imparts striking notes of bitter almonds and dried fruit to the Chardonnay, alongside ripe tropical fruit notes characteristic of the grape variety itself. On the palate, savory notes of cream and toasted nuts intertwine with peach and apricot, lingering harmoniously on the tongue. This expressive white represents the pinnacle of Argentina’s emerging wineries and pairs beautifully with pan-fried salmon, tuna steaks, or herby roast chicken.