In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Deep crimson with a plum hue. Aromas of fresh blackcurrants, mulberry, ozone, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant jubes, bitter chocolate and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Wonderful with a chargrilled rib eye on the bone or porcini mushroom, thyme and quinoa risotto.
Review:
Prune plums and blackcurrants. Violets, lavender leaf and black cherry. Olive tapenade, rosemary and crushed black peppercorn. The wine is held together by a fine mesh of grape and subtle oak tannins, intertwined with pure Coonawarra cabernet fruit. It’s chiselled in its dimension, and you might miss it, as it has such great drinking pleasure. Fruit purity, lovingly handled equals total seduction.
- Australian Wine Companion 95 Points
Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from Cabernet Franc.
Gran Enemigo Agrelo is intense, balanced, and elegant. Cabernet Franc brings light notes of eucalyptus and thyme, Malbec provides ripe black fruits, and oak provides a touch of chocolate and vanilla. Certified Sustainable by Bodegas de Argentina.
Gran Enemigo Agrelo pairs beautifully with steak, veal, and roasted game birds such as chicken, turkey, and duck.
Reviews:
The 2019 Gran Enemigo Agrelo Single Vineyard shows the completeness of the vintage, a year with good yields and a cooler winter and summer. The result is a very balanced wine with full development of aromas and flavors, moderate ripeness and good freshness and balance. It has a fine texture, some chalky sensations and a dry finish, despite the fact that the soils have no limestone. The vines here are over 40 years of age.
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 97 Points
#73 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo also includes 15% Malbec from the clayish soils of Luján de Cuyo. Aged for 15 months in foudres, this purplish wine reveals enticing cigar ash notes alongside blueberry and plum aromas, with a subtle cedar backdrop. Dry, rich and plush on the palate, it quickly tightens due to its fine-grained, reactive, clay-like tannins. This long-lasting red lingers on the ashy notes, beautifully layered and crafted with a modernist touch in a slightly cool vintage.
- Vinous 97 Points