2020 El Enemigo Semillon, Mendoza, Argentina

Sémillon El Enemigo from Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo hails from a 70-year-old vineyard. Aged with flor for a year before 15 months in barrels, it's a golden yellow in the glass. On the nose there are notes of flint, honey, a little hazelnut and cashew nut underneath the aromas of white flowers and pear. In the mouth, however, it's broad with a good, voluminous flow, texture and a soft spiced backdrop. Intense and creamy with a sustained layer of salinity, minerality and depth to the finish. The stylistic acrobatics have opened up new possibilities for the varietal.

El Enemigo translates as the enemy. Nodding to the fact that at the end of any journey, most remember only one battle — the one fought within (the original enemy). This is the battle that defines us.

The wines of El Enemigo are a tribute to those internal battles that make us who we are, brought to fruition by a winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, and a historian, Adrianna Catena who share a love of wine and reach back in time to capture the era when European immigrants first settled in Argentina.

One of Argentina's most acclaimed wineries, El Enemigo has rocketed to superstardom in just a few short vintages. El Enemigo is a joint venture of two big names in Argentine wine - Catena's winemaker Alejandro Vigil and Dr Catena's younger daughter, Adrianna. These two were drawn together by a passion for creating more approachable and mineral-driven wines that are expressive of the nuances of Mendoza’s special terroirs.