El Enemigo, Chardonnay, 2023
El Enemigo, Chardonnay, 2023
- 75cl
- 13%
- White Still
- Chardonnay
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2033
Est. delivery in 2027
El Enemigo, 'the enemy', takes its name from Adrianna Catena's somewhat tongue-in-cheek description of Alejandro Vigil, now one of Argentina's most restless and respected winemakers. Their Chardonnay comes from high-altitude Mendoza vineyards where the diurnal swings are dramatic enough to keep the variety on its toes, yielding a wine with genuine tension rather than the tropical weight that once defined Argentine Chardonnay's reputation.
The 2023 is bright, precise, and confident; white peach and lemon curd meeting toasted almond and a flinty, almost saline finish. Oak is present but held on a tight leash; this is about the fruit and the altitude, not the barrel.
What the critics say:
"Salty and spicy, with aromas of ginger, cardamom, lemons and sea salt. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, sharp and pungent, with a precise, saline character. Rich, focused and delicious. From grapes grown in Gualtallary. Fermented and aged in French oak, of which 35% was new. Drink or hold."
"The 2023 Chardonnay El Enemigo comes from Gualtallary, Uco Valley. Aged in 500-liter French oak barrels, it opens with green apple, chamomile, white peach, herbs and a subtle vermouth note. Dry, compact and saline, the oak broadens the palate where richness is otherwise restrained. The 2023 is a modern, refined profile for Gualtallary Chardonnay in a warm vintage."
The Chardonnay grapes come from high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, where elevation — typically above 1,000 metres — keeps temperatures cool enough to preserve natural acidity. The soils are predominantly sandy and stony over alluvial substrates, which drain well and stress the vines just enough to concentrate flavour without sacrificing freshness. The wide diurnal temperature swings, with warm days and cold nights, are what give the wine its combination of ripe fruit and sharp, lifted acidity.
Mendoza is Argentina's most celebrated wine region, responsible for the vast majority of the country's fine wine production. While Malbec is its calling card, the region's altitude and climate diversity make it increasingly compelling for white varieties too. There are no restrictive rules around grape varieties or yields at the Mendoza GI level, which gives ambitious producers like El Enemigo real creative latitude. Compared to the warmer, lower-lying parts of the region, high-altitude Mendoza — particularly Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley — produces wines of genuine freshness and definition.
The 2023 vintage in Mendoza arrived with its own particular rhythm. Spring brought adequate rainfall to replenish the soils after several drier years, though producers had to stay alert during flowering to manage the increased humidity. Summer unfolded with the kind of temperature swings that make Mendoza tick: hot days balanced by those crucial cool nights that flow down from the Andes, preserving acidity whilst allowing phenolic ripening to proceed at its own pace.
What emerged from the cellars shows Mendoza at its most expressive. The Malbecs display that wonderful combination of concentrated dark fruit and mineral backbone that comes when the vines have enough water early on but must work a bit harder later in the season. Cabernet Sauvignon benefited particularly well from the conditions, producing wines with structure and depth that should reward patience. Most 2023s are drinking beautifully now, offering immediate pleasure, though the better examples will happily cellar until 2035 or beyond.
OUR GROWERS
El Enemigo
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