El Enemigo, Gran Enemigo, 'El Cepillo' Cabernet Franc, 2021
El Enemigo, Gran Enemigo, 'El Cepillo' Cabernet Franc, 2021
- 75cl
- 13.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Franc, Malbec
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Optimal drinking window: 2027 - 2038
Est. delivery in 2027
Gran Enemigo 'El Cepillo' is the single-vineyard crown jewel of Adriano Senetiner and Alejandro Vigil's El Enemigo project, a Cabernet Franc from a high-altitude site in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo that flatly refuses to behave like anything you'd expect.
Where some Mendoza reds trade in warmth and weight, this one deals in precision: cool-climate energy, a violet and graphite signature, and tannins that feel architectural rather than plush.
What the critics say:
"Aromas of black licorice, iodine and blackberries with hints of nutmeg. Medium- to full-bodied with a super structure yet at the same time polish and finesse. Extremely long and attractive with energy and polish. The glacial soil and western aspect of the vineyard make this special. Better in two or three years and beyond. Try after 2027."
"Between the phenomenal El Cepillo and Gualtallary bottlings, the 2021 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard is, by a hair, the spectacular runner-up. The vineyard was planted in 1999 on colluvial limestone soils, with 10,000 plants per hectare. It was barrel fermented with 40% whole clusters before maturing for 15 months in 100-year-old foudre and contains 15% Malbec. The nose opens with a distinct bouquet of black licorice and anise that continuously gains prominence within a blue- and purple-fruited profile that always keeps fruit tucked deftly in the background. The palate is the quintessence of finessed, plush density, culminating in a refined, composed and sophisticated finish propelled by immense saturation, mineral-inflected energy and grainless yet grippy tannins. While I perceived the slightest bit more grace and dimension in the Gualtallary bottling, this is a breathtaking example of Uco Valley Cabernet Franc that should drink fabulously into its second decade."
The El Cepillo vineyard sits in Agrelo, in the southern reaches of Luján de Cuyo, at around 1,000 metres above sea level. Soils are predominantly sandy loam over limestone and clay, which drain freely and keep the vines in check, producing small berries with concentrated flavour and naturally firm structure. The altitude brings significant diurnal temperature variation — warm days and cold nights — which locks in acidity and aromatic freshness that low-altitude Mendoza rarely achieves. It is this thermal contrast, more than anything else, that gives El Cepillo its precision.
Luján de Cuyo holds the distinction of being Argentina's first Denominación de Origen Controlada, granted in 1993 specifically for Malbec — though increasingly its producers are proving that the region is just as compelling for other varieties. Sitting at the foot of the Andes in Mendoza province, its subzones range from the gravelly plains around Agrelo to the higher, stonier sites further west. It is broadly considered Mendoza's most prestigious red wine district, a rival in ambition if not in tradition to the likes of Napa or the Médoc.
The 2021 vintage in Mendoza threw producers a proper curveball with late spring frosts that arrived just when everyone thought they were in the clear. Those chilly mornings in October knocked yields down across the region, particularly hitting Malbec vineyards in the higher-altitude sites of Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. What followed was a growing season of extremes: searingly hot days tempered by those famous Andean temperature swings that keep acidity intact, then a mercifully cool March that allowed extended hang time without the grapes turning to jam.
The result is a vintage of surprising concentration and freshness, where less truly became more. We find the Malbecs show gorgeous depth without the sometimes overwhelming power of hotter years, whilst the high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot positively shine with focused intensity. The best wines are drinking beautifully now but have the backbone to cellar well into the 2030s. Those lower yields meant producers had to be selective, but the quality from serious estates is genuinely impressive.
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