El Enemigo WinesEl Enemigo Chardonnay 2015

"This is dense and flavorful with lots of sliced apple, almond and flower character. Hints of kiwi too. Full body, dry and exceptionally long finish. Oily but dry. Wild. Drink now."

"Rich and creamy, with luscious baked pear and ripe apple flavors that are well-spiced, showing loads of buttery accents. Toasted coconut notes emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 50 cases imported."

I tasted two vintages—2015 and 2016—of the only white they bottle (so far, because in the future there will be a Sémillon), which I hadn´t encountered for a while. The 2015 El Enemigo Chardonnay is 100% grapes from Gualtallary. It´s from a single vineyard with sandy soils, with boulders and limestone 50 centimeters down, from 5.2 hectares of vines planted in 1998 in the Adrianna vineyard, in the Mirador plot. After the full clusters were pressed, the juice fermented in barrel and was kept there under a thin layer of flor yeasts, similar to wines kept in a solera. The effect of the flor is quite mild, as it´s very thin and is only in contact with the wine for around nine months, so it only adds a spicy/yeasty twist. There are some oxidative and smoky notes, and the wine has a dark color and different personality, with hints of tar and diesel, curry and charred oranges. It has pungent and sharply focused flavors, with good freshness and a tasty finish. This is one of those Chardonnays that people will love or hate. 18,000 bottles produced.