Description

Vinous: 90 points
(barrel-fermented, with no SO2 added except at the bottling; El Enemigo is a joint venture between the immensely talented Alejandro Vigil, the winemaker at Catena Zapata, and wine historian Adrianna Catena, the youngest daughter of Nicolas Catena): Straw-yellow. Ripe, oily nose conveys a sappy, salty richness and sweet oak tones. Displays a subtle tropical fruit ripeness along with some leesy complexity on the palate, then finishes surprisingly firm and minerally, with a note of nut skin. In a distinctly savory style. According to winemaker Vigil, by not using any SO2 he encourages the formation of flor in his Chardonnay barrels; it typically grows in about 80% of them.