Bodega Aleanna makes stylish wines that impress with finely balanced wines of powerful depth, but restrained elegance. Their well-known El Enemigo line serves as a great introduction to their style, but their flagship Gran Enemigo lineup take things to new levels. Critical reviews from The Wine Advocate and James Suckling have rated many of them as extraordinary over the years (scores in the high 90s). This week we're featuring the 2016 Gran Enemigo "Bordeaux blend," involving the five major varieties of that iconic French region, which has served as a model for much of Argentina's winemaking history: 50% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.
It shouldn't be too surprising that the wine is great, as Bodega Aleanna has the pedigree: it's a collaboration between Adriana Catena and the chief winemaker for Catena Zapata, Alejandro Vigil. The winery was named to reflect their irreverence for the status quo ("the enemy"), and their Gran Enemigo certainly lives up to that, as it's made in a way that goes against the "international style" and huge production brands that had dominated Argentinian wine for a couple decades. They make use of spontaneous fermentations, which is tricky to pull off, but winemakers like these believe it's ideal in making a true wine of its place. To complement, not dominate, the mouthwatering, saline mineral-laden fruit, they age in larger oak barrels, which adds dry cocoa and vanilla accents. This is drinking well now with just a little air, but there's no rush, as this wine should develop nicely over the coming years.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The varietal blend of the 2016 Gran Enemigo is slightly different from the 2015 I tasted next to it; here, there's a bit more Cabernet Franc and less Cabernet Sauvignon, so 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot; but the wine was produced exactly the same: vinification (wild fermentation, shortish maceration) and élevage (in large used French oak vats), so what we see here are the differences provided by the year. 2016 was a very unusual vintage, when they saw more rain than ever (they didn't irrigate the vineyards), and the average temperature was much lower. It was not an easy year, especially in the classical zone of Mendoza, but in Gualtallary, where these grapes come from, it was a truly excellent harvest, one of the best in recent times (until 2018 came).
The wine is fresher and more nuanced than the 2015, and there is clout and power but also a lot of finesse and elegance. The palate revealed superb harmony and very fine tannins, the acidity is very integrated and the wine is seamless, with fine chalky minerality and a bitterness in the finish that is salty rather than sweet. There is no room for sweetness in any of these wines; these are savory wines, powerful wines with superb balance and all the ingredients to develop slowly and for a very long time in bottle and destined for the dining table. It fills your mouth, but it's not heavy; it's powerful but feels ethereal. This is probably the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 19,200 bottles were filled in December 2018 from a shorter crop than previous years."
It shouldn't be too surprising that the wine is great, as Bodega Aleanna has the pedigree: it's a collaboration between Adriana Catena and the chief winemaker for Catena Zapata, Alejandro Vigil. The winery was named to reflect their irreverence for the status quo ("the enemy"), and their Gran Enemigo certainly lives up to that, as it's made in a way that goes against the "international style" and huge production brands that had dominated Argentinian wine for a couple decades. They make use of spontaneous fermentations, which is tricky to pull off, but winemakers like these believe it's ideal in making a true wine of its place. To complement, not dominate, the mouthwatering, saline mineral-laden fruit, they age in larger oak barrels, which adds dry cocoa and vanilla accents. This is drinking well now with just a little air, but there's no rush, as this wine should develop nicely over the coming years.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The varietal blend of the 2016 Gran Enemigo is slightly different from the 2015 I tasted next to it; here, there's a bit more Cabernet Franc and less Cabernet Sauvignon, so 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Malbec, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot; but the wine was produced exactly the same: vinification (wild fermentation, shortish maceration) and élevage (in large used French oak vats), so what we see here are the differences provided by the year. 2016 was a very unusual vintage, when they saw more rain than ever (they didn't irrigate the vineyards), and the average temperature was much lower. It was not an easy year, especially in the classical zone of Mendoza, but in Gualtallary, where these grapes come from, it was a truly excellent harvest, one of the best in recent times (until 2018 came).
The wine is fresher and more nuanced than the 2015, and there is clout and power but also a lot of finesse and elegance. The palate revealed superb harmony and very fine tannins, the acidity is very integrated and the wine is seamless, with fine chalky minerality and a bitterness in the finish that is salty rather than sweet. There is no room for sweetness in any of these wines; these are savory wines, powerful wines with superb balance and all the ingredients to develop slowly and for a very long time in bottle and destined for the dining table. It fills your mouth, but it's not heavy; it's powerful but feels ethereal. This is probably the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 19,200 bottles were filled in December 2018 from a shorter crop than previous years."
Overall Rating
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