Gran Enemigo Gualtallary is one of Argentina’s benchmark Cabernet Franc wines, combining extraordinary high-altitude intensity with a sense of freshness and precision that makes it feel almost weightless despite its concentration. The blend is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec, grown at 1,470 metres in Gualtallary, where rocky, limestone-rich soils and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings produce fruit with naturally high acidity and exceptionally fine tannins. Blackberry, cassis and dark plum lead into violet, lavender, thyme, eucalyptus and mountain herbs, with graphite, ink and a distinctly chalky, almost saline mineral character underneath. The 2021 vintage was cooler than average, giving the wine an especially lifted and energetic personality. Forty per cent whole bunches add aromatic complexity and freshness, while an unusually gentle 40-day infusion extracts flavour without excessive tannin. Most importantly, the producer’s own 2021 technical sheet confirms that the wine spent 15 months entirely in concrete rather than oak, preserving remarkable purity of fruit and terroir. With 99 points from Wine Advocate and 98 each from Vinous and James Suckling, this is an exceptional expression of both Cabernet Franc and modern high-altitude Argentine winemaking.
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary, Producer
El Enemigo is the collaboration between Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena, two people with very different backgrounds united by an obsession with wine, history and the distinctive terroirs of Mendoza. Alejandro is an agricultural engineer, former head of the soils division at Argentina’s INTA research institute and has been chief winemaker at Catena Zapata since 2002. Adrianna is the youngest daughter of Nicolás Catena Zapata and an Oxford-educated historian specialising in the early modern Iberian Atlantic. Together they created El Enemigo as a project that looks backwards as much as forwards, inspired by the ambitions of European immigrants who arrived in Argentina and attempted to recreate – and eventually surpass – the fine wines of their homelands. The name translates as “The Enemy” and refers not to an outside rival but to the internal fears and limitations that can prevent people from experimenting and changing.
Cabernet Franc has become one of the defining varieties of the project, particularly in Gualtallary, and Gran Enemigo represents its most ambitious expression. Vigil’s background in soil science is particularly relevant here: rather than simply pursuing extreme ripeness from Mendoza’s sunshine, he has focused on high-elevation vineyards and limestone-rich sites capable of delivering freshness, tension and mineral structure. The results have helped establish Cabernet Franc as one of Argentina’s most exciting fine-wine grapes. Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2013 famously received 100 points from Wine Advocate, one of the landmark scores in Argentine wine, and subsequent vintages have maintained an extraordinary level of critical acclaim.
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary, Terroir & Winemaking
The vineyard lies in Gualtallary, within Tupungato in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, at a remarkable 1,470 metres above sea level. It is planted at a very high density of approximately 10,000 vines per hectare. Cabernet Franc grows on rocky, calcareous soils, while the Malbec comes from deeper but similarly limestone-rich and rocky ground. At this elevation, intense sunlight encourages flavour and phenolic development while very cool nights slow respiration and help retain acidity. The 2021 season amplified those qualities: El Enemigo describes it as relatively cool with slightly increased rainfall, recording approximately 15–20% fewer degree-days than 2020. Red grapes achieved excellent skin ripeness and concentration without excessive sugar, while acidity remained particularly strong.
The blend is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec. After a four-day cold maceration, fermentation takes place in concrete at an average temperature of around 23°C. Forty per cent of the fruit is retained as whole bunches, adding fragrance, spice and structural complexity. Rather than repeatedly pumping or punching the cap to maximise extraction, the wine then undergoes approximately 40 days of gentle infusion with minimal movement. This is crucial with Cabernet Franc from such a powerful site: the vineyard naturally supplies enormous structure, so the winemaking is about extracting delicately rather than forcefully. The finished wine spends 15 months in concrete. It is worth highlighting that point because older Gran Enemigo Gualtallary releases and some merchant descriptions mention barrels or oak ageing; for the 2021, the producer’s vintage-specific technical sheet explicitly states 15 months in concrete.
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2021, Tasting Notes
Deep purple with youthful ruby highlights. The nose initially feels dark and restrained, opening gradually towards blackberry, cassis, blueberry and plum, with sour cherry bringing a brighter edge. Cabernet Franc contributes violet, lavender, black pepper, thyme and other mountain-herb aromas, while graphite, ink, warm earth and subtle tar reinforce the mineral, savoury side of the wine. What makes it especially compelling is how those darker flavours sit alongside a surprisingly floral and lifted perfume rather than simply becoming dense or brooding. Vinous particularly highlights blackberry, plum, mountain herbs, cassis, violet and lavender, while James Suckling notes graphite, blueberries, tar, earth and ink.
The palate is concentrated but remarkably agile. Dark berries and plum have plenty of depth, yet the wine is only 13.5% ABV and its very low pH of 3.04 gives a vivid line of freshness from beginning to end. Tannins are fine, powdery and distinctly chalk-like rather than heavy, creating structure without making the wine feel bulky. There is a savoury herbal quality through the middle, followed by graphite, black fruit and a cool mineral sensation on an exceptionally long finish. This is still a young wine and somewhat compact, but the balance is already extraordinary: powerful without heaviness, ripe without sweetness and structured without excessive extraction.
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2021, Awards
Wine Advocate – 99 points
Vinous – 98 points
James Suckling – 98 points
Wine Enthusiast – 97 points
Gran Enemigo Gualtallary, Food pairing suggestion: Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Charred Aubergine, Rosemary Jus and Crispy Potatoes.
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