Note: We mistakenly attributed scores from the El Enemigo Gualtallary Cab Franc to this wine in today’s email. This single-vineyard Chacayes bottling still brings a host of big scores to the table as well, and the correct ones are listed below. Sorry for any confusion!

Say it with us: En-Eh-MEEEGO!

“…at this quality level the price seems too good to be true…” wrote Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

What if they saw OUR price?!

Yes, it’s fun to say, but even more fun to drink. Every year it represents one of the absolute top Cab Francs on earth. That’s right - we’d put this right up against Cheval Blanc ($500+) and Château Hosanna ($179) with supreme confidence. And it always comes with GRIP of huge scores. 97 from Wine Advocate. 95 Suckling and 94 Vinous.

You must know who the Catenas are by now. Well, El Enemigo is their joint project with Alejandro Vigil - one of the most gifted winemakers the world has seen. His 99-100 point White Bones and White Stones Chardonnays sit in a pantheon of the most memorable wines we’ve EVER tasted. And this carries the same gravity on the red side of the spectrum.

The project spun out of control when Wine Advocate awarded them with 100 points: *“The joint venture between Catena’s winemaker Alejandro Vigil and Dr. Catena’s younger daughter, Adrianna, has produced a perfect wine in 2013. They are without a doubt one of the leading names in the whole of Argentina.” They wrote and made history. It has since been impossible to get, let alone see enough in the same place to make a day out of… until today!

How can it be best described? Let’s not reinvent the wheel and stick with a cliché. It’s the definition of an iron fist in a velvet glove. The kind of wine that you sniff and sip again and again in utter disbelief. There’s probably some logarithmic equation to unravel the complexity here. A mix of fruit, savory, salty and umami twists and turns that take you on a ride. It centers around a core of ripe black fruit wrapped with vanilla and chocolate, and spicy herbs linger around the edge with a salinity and minerality that speaks to the very definition of terroir. There’s nothing like it. The

Let’s revert to the Wine Advocate one last time to emphasize how MONSTROUS an opportunity this is; “Alejandro Vigil continues producing amazing wines under the brand El Enemigo, including some of the best Cabernet Franc produced in Argentina. These wines seem to have created some kind of hype around the variety, but Vigil’s wines are not about the variety at all, they are about the very special places where the grapes are grown… at this quality level the price seems too good to be true.”

We’d argue it’s some of the best Cab Franc produce in the world. But hey, you be the judge…if you can get some before it sells out.

97 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate The more austere 2017 Gran Enemigo Chacayes Single Vineyard was produced with Cabernet Franc and 15% Malbec from a low-yielding and early harvest of plants at 1,100 meters in altitude. The fermentations for the Enemigo wines are always with indigenous yeasts and with some whole clusters, and in 2017, it was 100% (for all the single-vineyard wines) and aged in old oak foudres to avoid excessive aromas of oak or toast. The palate reveals some austerity too, but it has pungent flavors and piercing acidity and a very tasty, almost salty finish. This is also truly impressive, outstanding for a year like 2017 and among the best Chacayes ever. 6,000 bottles produced. (LG)

95 points James Suckling Beautiful aromas of blackberries, black walnuts and violets with hints of fresh tarragon. It’s medium-bodied with creamy, finely rounded tannins that lead you down to the end of the palate. Succulent and delicious at the finish.

94 points Vinous The 2017 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Chacayes is mixed with 15% Malbec from Los Chacayes, Uco Valley from vineyards planted in rocky soils and 30% fermented in whole bunches before aging in French barrels and foudres. Dark, rich, purple in the glass. The taut, simple aromas feature blackcurrant and blackberry with hints of herb, jarilla, jalapeño and ash with the herbs taking over at the end. On the palate, it’s free-flowing with good volume and a tight, juicy flow in which the rocky soils bring structure and the region ensures lively acidity. The result is an intense, concentrated red that maintains its fresh feel and will improve in the bottle.