Enemigo Malbec
Winery : Bodega Aleanna
Catina Ranking : 17th The World's Best Vineyards 2025 (best ranking 10th, 2023)
Vintage : 2023
Grad : 13.5%
Origin : Gualtallary, Tupungato; Mendoza; Argentina
Altitude : 1470 m above sea level
Winemaker(s) : Alejando Vigil
Harvest : The 2023 wines will be among those with the greatest aging potential. After the spring frosts of October and November 2022, which caused a widespread reduction in yields, the weather was very dry with slightly above-average temperatures. Low yields led to a harvest two to four weeks earlier than usual. The wines are quite elegant, with high natural acidity and low alcohol levels. A powerful minerality and texture are this year's hallmarks.
Vinification : Fermented with indigenous yeasts at a maximum temperature of 29°C (84°F) for 20 days, followed by a 15-day maceration with minimal pumping over to preserve freshness and precision.
Aging : 15 months in large barrels (50% foudres), barriques (25%) and cement.
It can age in the bottle for up to : 15 years.
Vivino Rating : 4.3
Expert Rating* (average): 93/100
*Tim Atkin, James Suckling, Robert Parker, Descorchados, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator
Alejandro "Ale" Vigil graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Mendoza, where he subsequently earned two master's degrees in Oenology and Irrigation. In 2003, he joined the Oenology team at the prestigious Catena Zapata, becoming the winery's Oenological Director in 2017. In 2007, he began the Bodega Aleanna project alongside Adrianna Catena.
Alejandro is the first Argentine winemaker to receive 100 points from Robert Parker and James Suckling for two of his wines (CZ River Stones 2016 and CZ White Bones 2018) and is also the winemaker to have obtained the highest score ever awarded to a pure Cabernet Franc (Gran Enemigo Gualtallary 2013). In 2019, he was chosen by Tim Atkin as Winemaker of the Year.
He is considered the "Messi" of winemaking. Alejandro lives with his wife and children in what he likes to call "The Republic of Chachingo": a rural village in Mendoza where neighbors produce wine together and cultivate the land collectively. It is in Chachingo that Casa Vigil was born, a restaurant (Michelin-starred since 2023) located in the very heart of Bodega Aleanna. It offers a tour of the cellar inspired by the Divine Comedy: we will encounter three rooms and tunnels that lead us to hell, a unique and fascinating place, filled with barrels and works of art. Then we stroll through purgatory and arrive in paradise, where the visit culminates with a lunch of family recipes and a tasting with the magical Enemigos .
Tasting Notes : Clean, intense red in color with purple highlights. Aromas of red fruits, plums, pepper, and spices, which enhance the characteristics of the terroir. On the palate, it is a wine with good volume, structure, and fleshy tannins. Long and elegant finish.
Notes on the winery : Vallisto, as well as an ambitious winemaking dream in one of the most fascinating and remote areas of Argentina, despite being today part of the Bodega Lavaque group, represents a successful attempt to save some of the oldest vineyards from abandonment, authentic witnesses of local traditions.