El Enemigo

As Bravas Malbec El Cepillo 2018

Adrianna Catena und Alejandro Vigil haben schon für Adriannas Familienweingut Catena Zapata den ersten 100-Punkte-Wein Argentiniens erzeugt. Mit ihrem zweiten Projekt El Enemigo knüpfen sie daran an und zeigen, zu welcher Größe argentinische Weine heranreifen können!

This wine opens with blackberry aromas, then shows an herbal, underbrush-driven character that is equally seductive. It combines a very elegant thread of fruit with incisive force. There’s a striking interplay of chiseled fruit, precise tannins and a fresh and juicy yet austere finish. Made from malbec with a pinch of semillon. A wine that should slowly evolve over time. This is fermented with 30% whole clusters and is then aged for 64 months in 2,000-liter foudres. Drink or hold

A contemporary classic by which to measure Argentine Malbec, the 2018 As Bravas Malbec is a spectacular wine in every regard. It derives from a 1.7-hectare parcel of ungrafted vines planted in Cordón El Cepillo's colluvial limestone soils and contains 5% co-planted Sémillon. It was fermented in concrete pools with 30% whole clusters and underwent a 23-day maceration before maturing for fully 64 months in a 100-year-old Italian foudre. From the first pour, there is a quietly commanding quality to the nose, which ceaselessly evolves around a dark-fruited core and myriad savory aromas of dried spices, charcoal, ash, licorice, fresh herbs and violets. The palate is seemingly endlessly layered, combining a dense, staining texture with sophisticated understatement and supreme elegance. It culminates with an incredibly long, impactful, concentrated and captivatingly weightless finish, further elongated by a sturdy graphite-laden core and ultra-refined tannins that continuously swell. This is a timeless wine of symphonic balance that should effortlessly deliver over two decades of drinking pleasure.