Malbec Magnificence from 4800 Feet of Altitude!
It's amazing the impact a 20,000 foot mountain range can have on a picture.
Located in the foothills of the Andes Mountain range, today's wine is from this remarkable Gualtallary vineyard, planted at a height of 4800 feet.
If anyone in Napa wants to brag about their mountain plantings, this property will shut them down quickly. The highest vineyard in Napa is at not much more than half that altitude!
Crafted by Adrianna Catena and Alejandro Vigil who are, respectively, the youngest daughter of and longtime winemaker for Nicolás Catena, the 2021 El Enemigo Malbec is a silky, refined and impeccably balanced beauty. Earning multiple 93 and 94-Point reviews, it is a masterful example of just how good this historically French varietal can be when lovingly cultivated in the high mountain vineyards of Argentina.
Priced at $22.99, it also happens to be a screamingly hot value. Scroll down for all the details, and for a classic French bottling of Malbec from the incomparable Kermit Lynch, than quickly click on the Big Yellow Button to load up on these awesome wines!
2021 El Enemigo Malbec
Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
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Our first sip of this gorgeous Malbec evoked two words: Delicious refinement. This silky, refined, and impeccably balanced beauty thrusts delicious red and blue fruits into the forefront while maintaining enough restraint for the secondary flavors of purple wildflowers, dried herbs, star anise, and stony minerals to shine.
The blueberry, red plum, lilac, dried herbs, and fresh fennel flavors are fully engulfing, yet subtle, showing a mastery varietal and terroir that rarely come at this modest price. The extremely long and delightfully grippy finish features a touch of stony minerality, that makes it a quite wonderful match to drink now and through the rest of the decade with grilled hanger steak, roasted potatoes and veggies.
Awarding big 94 and 93-Point reviews, the wine press is as charmed by this one as we are...
"This 2021 Malbec contains 10% Cabernet Franc sourced from the slopes of Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. After fermenting in new oak barrels, it opens with delicate notes of violet and fresh plum, accented by subtle herbal hints. Compact yet expressive, its juicy palate reveals layers of plum and licorice, with a balanced and appealing flavor profile. A true hallmark of this wine is its unburdened texture, carrying pristine floral nuances through an enduring, graceful finish. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040."
- 94 Points, Vinous - Joaquín Hidalgo (11/2024)
"Exuberant red and blue fruit with a touch of stones and subtle spices. Juicy and firm on the palate, with a medium to full body and fresh, fine-grained tannins. Quite a long finish full of fruit. Drink or hold."
- 93 Points, James Suckling (4/16/2024)
"The very young 2021 Malbec follows the path of restraint, balance, harmony and elegance that was seen in the 2019, which I tasted next to it. This is a neatly crafted Malbec with varietal typicity, spiced up with some Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, always with very careful oaking to respect the typicity of the variety and the place. It's mineral and stony, finishing dry and long. 35,000 bottles were filled in July 2022. Drink Date: 2023 - 2029."
- 93 Points, Wine Advocate (11/30/2022)
You simply won't find a more impressive mountain-grown Malbec for this price.
Vin Chicago Price: 22.99
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2021 Clos La Coutale Malbec
Cahors, France
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This rustic, charming, soulful, and authentically chewy Kermit Lynch import explores the origins of Malbec from its home turf in the Cahors region of France.
Packed equally with dark fruit and earthy character, this gritty wine is an absurd value that transports you to a small bistro in the French countryside, where the chef warmly smiles as they set a bowl of winter lamb stew in front of you, and and all is right in the world!
We award 90 Points to this Southern French blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot. Looking online we found 46 listings with a median of $17. Our price beats them all.
Vin Chicago Price: 13.79
