El Enemigo El Mirador Single Vineyard Bonarda 2022 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely single vineyard Bonarda that arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the April 25th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by El Enemigo Wines, a project co-founded in 2008 by two of Argentina's most notable wine figures - Adrianna Catena, the youngest daughter of Nicolás Catena, and winemaker Alejandro Vigil.

Since childhood, Adrianna has lived and breathed wine, and today she blends her experience in Academia in History with her passion for viticulture and winemaking. Alejandro Vigil was the "enfant terrible" of his family as he left school at the age of 14 to join a wine co-operative. However, he did keep up with his studying at night so as to not upset his mother. Alejandro graduated at the top of his class agricultural engineering, and at the age of 27 he became the head of soils division for the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina. Since 2002, Alejandro has been the Chief Winemaker at Catena Zapata.

El Enemigo means "The Enemy", and reflects the personal philosophy of its founders, which is that the biggest enemy is oneself. The philosophy behind El Enemigo is to constantly strive to push boundaries and challenge personal limits. In this same spirit, the wines of El Enemigo emphasize Argentine terroir while focusing on old world winemaking techniques to create new world wines that are creative and energetic. Each wine is also crafted to be in balance between old world elegance and new world, fruit-driven intensity. El Enemigo Wines are produced in the southern foothills of Maipu, Mendoza, using grapes from a number of vineyards across the region. As a soil expert with a Master's Degree in both winemaking and irrigation management, the work of Alejandro Vigil has led to important developments in both vineyard management and winemaking in Argentina.

I've had the pleasure of tasting previous vintages of this wine, including most recently writing about the 2020 El Enemigo El Mirador Single Vineyard Bonarda a couple of years ago. Like previous vintages, this red wine is crafted using 100% Bonarda that was grown in a single vineyard within the El Mirador district of Rivadavia, in the central-north part of the province of Mendoza. The vineyard is situated at 650 metres (2,132 feet) above sea level and is planted on sand and deep clay soil. To vinify this wine, it underwent a wild yeast fermentation at a fairly warm temperature of 28C (82F) for 15 days, followed by a 15-day infusion with minimal movement to gently extract colour, aromas, and flavours. The wine was aged for 12 months in foudre, then rested in bottle prior to release.

According to Alejandro, the 2022 vintage in Mendoza was an exceptional year from every possible qualitative standpoint. It was a roller-coaster vintage with spring frosts followed by a relatively cool and damp season, and then another frost to end spring, which cut yields. Much needed rain arrived at the end and spring and into summer, which refreshed the vines. After the rains passed and the weather cleared, there was just enough heat for red grape varieties such as Bonarda to reach phenolic ripeness in time for harvest. The end result was expressive wines with optimal acidity, concentration, and ripeness. From a vintage that Alejandro Vigil says that "this is the best year that I have lived through", let's see how this 2022 Bonarda from Rivadavia, Mendoza, is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL ENEMIGO EL MIRADOR SINGLE VINEYARD BONARDA 2022 - Rivadavia, Mendoza, Argentina (#15120) (XD) - $29.95
This lovely, single vineyard Bonarda has a fresh and lifted medium-high intensity nose that offers a ripe mix of red, black, and purple fruit with plummy, black cherry, blackberry, and dried herb aromas layered over earthy oak, cocoa, and spices. On the dry, medium-full bodied palate it has delicious dark fruited blackberry, plum, black cherry, dried herb, oak spice, and earthy flavours, plus mineral accents. It has fresh and succulent acidity, alongside smooth, elegant, and fine-grained tannins with good structure and a subtle chalky grip on the back palate. Plum and dark berry notes taper to oak spice and minerals on the long, dry, and savoury finish. Enjoy this highly recommended buy over the coming 7-8 years. Score: 91+ pts

Several ultra-premium wines by El Enemigo are available in small quantities at the LCBO, while their very popular Chardonnay (and one of my personal favourites) will be arriving in VINTAGES later this month. The full range of El Enemigo Wines can also be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.