El Enemigo • As Bravas Malbec 2018

Der beste Malbec der Welt

As Bravas Malbec

2018

El Enemigo

Mendoza, Argentinien

Wine Advocate (Parker/Luczy), Mai 2025

100/100

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.

A collaboration between Catena's winemaking director Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena, El Enemigo is among a select handful of reference-point producers in Argentina. The portfolio focuses on the Uco Valley with inclusions spanning Luján de Cuyo, Maipú and eastern Mendoza, each region containing reference-point bottlings rendered with unwavering clarity. The portfolio begins with an overperforming and affordable range of varietal wines, including a set of site-specific, old-vine Bonarda rarely produced with such detail and complexity. The superb Gran Enemigo range contains a transcendent expression of Torrontés and a beautiful red blend, culminating in a centerpiece quartet of single-vineyard Cabernet Francs. I found these firmly among Argentina's most exciting wines, cementing the variety's rightful place alongside Malbec as a vehicle for expressing the Uco Valley. Also at the top of the pyramid is the As Bravas range, which centers around a phenomenal Malbec bottling and a newly introduced Garnacha.

Drink: 2026 - 2043