Winemaker Notes
El Enemigo Bonarda is intense and complex, with aromas of ripe berries, black cherries, chocolate, spice, and fresh herbs. The palate presents concentrated flavors of ripe black and red fruits, licorice, and vanilla. Its silky tannins and refreshing acidity linger in the persistent finish. Certified Sustainable by Bodegas de Argentina.
Enjoy this wine alongside roasted lamb, empanadas, and light pasta dishes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blueberries, ripe plums, bitter chocolate, cloves, licorice and lemon leaves. Medium-bodied with fine, fleshy tannins. Plush and youthful core of dark fruit. Nicely framed.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The aromatic, floral and elegant 2019 Bonarda has 15% Cabernet Franc blended with the Bonarda from El Mirador in Rivadavia. It's fresh, and has moderate 13.5% alcohol, juicy fruit and fine-grained tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
Light notes of berries and vanilla emerge from the glass. A rich palate offers ripe cherry, raspberry and hints of dark chocolate. It has gentle acidity and smooth tannins that leads to a pleasant finish. This is a classic Bonarda that is medium in weight and full of red fruit flavors.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.