El Enemigo : Gran Enemigo "El Cepillo" 2021

A Red Argentinian wine imbued with freshness and balance

The estate 
Created in 2010 by Adrianna Catena, historian and daughter of Nicolás Catena, and Alejandro Vigil, head winemaker at the renowned Bodega Catena Zapata since 2002, El Enemigo quickly established itself as a benchmark in Mendoza. Specializing in high-altitude Cabernet Franc on limestone soils, this project takes its name from the atypical nature of this grape variety in the region.

The vineyard
El Cepillo is a Mendoza wine produced from a vineyard with soil composed of marine limestone at depth.

The vintage 
The 2021 vintage is characterized by relative freshness with slightly increased rainfall. Climatic conditions generated 15 to 20% fewer degree-days compared to 2020, while maintaining normal yields for red varieties. This particular weather allowed for grapes of excellent quality and perfectly healthy, showing great concentration, ripe skins, moderate sugars and optimal acidity.

Winemaking and aging
The harvest for Gran Enemigo El Cepillo 2021 spans five successive picks over six weeks. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks at an average temperature of 26°C. The process includes a cold maceration of 5 days and an average total maceration of 23 days. 30% of the harvest is vinified with whole clusters. Aging takes place over 15 months in concrete tanks.

Grape varieties 

This Gran Enemigo El Cepillo 2021 from El Enemigo is a Blend of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec.