El Enemigo Chardonnay Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 92/100

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 [through 2029+]. (96 points Jacobo Garcia-Andrade Llamas,jamessuckling.com,April 15, 2025) MINE: El Enemigo Chardonnay from Mendoza is a bold, full-bodied white of remarkable originality, crafted by the boundary-pushing winemaker Alejandro Vigil from hand-harvested vines over 20 years old in the high-altitude Gualtallary vineyard, fermented with native yeasts in 500-litre French oak barrels with 35% new wood, and then aged for 12 months under a flor yeast cap in a technique borrowed from the world of Fino Sherry, giving this Chardonnay a complexity and intrigue that is unlike virtually anything else produced in Argentina. Golden straw in the glass, it opens with a captivating nose of roasted almond, preserved citrus rind and a haunting suggestion of beeswax, flowing into flavours of grilled pineapple, warm brioche and a cool, piercing streak of iodine-tinged minerality on the palate, all underpinned by a rich, textured body and a long, saline finish that lingers with extraordinary persistence. It is bone dry and best served lightly chilled, drinking beautifully now and rewarding cellaring through 2029. Alejandro Vigil, one of Argentina's most celebrated and restlessly creative winemakers, has consistently pushed the boundaries of what Mendoza white wine can achieve, and this Chardonnay stands as one of his most audacious and compelling statements. Serve it with a rich seafood chowder loaded with clams, corn and cream, where the wine's saline minerality and toasty depth will mirror the briny richness of the dish beautifully, or pair it with a roast chicken finished with tarragon butter and roasted garlic, letting its warm brioche notes and textured palate weave seamlessly into every golden, herb-scented bite. NEW: Seafood chowder makes a warming winter match for this unusual Chardonnay. Alejandro Vigil ages it under a layer of flor yeast, a trick borrowed from Spain's Fino sherry. The grapes come from vines more than 20 years old in Gualtallary, high in Mendoza's Uco Valley. Baked apple and toasted hazelnut sit on a rich, savoury texture. El Enemigo means the enemy, but this bottle is everyone's friend.

Chardonnay food pairings: roast chicken, pork tenderloin, seafood chowder.

Remarkable Roast Chicken Wine

Natalie MacLean reviewed this El Enemigo Chardonnay for the Vintages release of January 23, 2027.

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.