2016 El Enemigo Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
With an even darker, more intense golden color but fresher aromas and flavors compared to the 2015 vintage, the 2016 El Enemigo Chardonnay has more noticeable notes of curry and nuts, with higher acidity, which gives it somewhat of a Jura character. It has 13.5% alcohol and 7.4 grams of acidity (in tartaric), so, very healthy natural parameters. It had a longer élevage sous voile, up to 13 months, so that probably explains why the yeasty and spicy character is more marked here than in the 2015. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil likes it like this, but he doesn't want more of the flor character, as it's not supposed to be a flor wine. Superb! It will be very interesting to see how this wine ages in bottle. 14,000 bottles were filled in September 2017.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(13.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.1 and 7.4 g/l acidity; from vines on rocky, calcareous soil at an altitude of 1,400 to 1,500 meters; aged in 35% new oak; partial malolactic fermentation): Yellow with a gold tinge. Knockout nose combines fresh peach, orange zest, flowers and wild herbs. Juicy, pure and intense; a bit less saline than the 2015 version but boasts firm stone fruit, spice and mineral flavors and more energy. Not especially phenolic but possesses serious backbone for Argentine Chardonnay. Still holding a lot in reserve, this wine should expand with more time in bottle.
About the producer
El Enemigo has quickly become one of Argentina’s top wine estates, specialising in high-altitude, single-vineyard Cabernet Franc cuvées and Bordeaux blends. They also produce a range of single-vineyard cuvées from the lesser-known variety Bonarda.