El Enemigo Wines
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
Wagner Family of Wine
Planeta
Dalrymple Vineyards
El Enemigo Wines
Tupungato, Argentina
About El Enemigo Wines
Created in 2010, co-owned by Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena
Our philosophy:
The land precedes us. The grape grows and ripens in its care. We do our part, lend a helping hand, while fruit and terroir do their art.
We thrive in the thrill of experimentation, delight in the new and unconventional. El Enemigo was born from a desire to carve our own path, and a shared obsession with terroir – each bottle an unfettered song to the wild, free-spirited soul. Our aim is to create wines that reflect the freshness and character of each individual vineyard: a pure expression of our terroir.
The name: At the end of the journey, we remember only one battle: the one we fought against ourselves, the original enemy. The one that defined us.
It came to us on one of those memorable, long nights that often arise in the company of good wine. Alejandro and I were talking about life and its challenges, and we had a laugh when I called my PhD thesis: el enemigo (the enemy).
Soon after, during another night with friends, we collaborated to write what has since become our motto: ‘At the end of the road we remember only one battle, the one we fought against ourselves: the one that defined us.’ (I recently saw this cited online as a verse from the Divine Comedy, it isn’t! but quite the compliment)
The wines:
Vineyards: Gualtallary (Tupungato), El Cepillo (San Carlos), Agrelo (Luján de Cuyo), Chacayes
(Tunuyán), El Mirador (Rivadavia).
Varietals: Cabernet Franc, Bonarda, Malbec, Chardonnay, Semillon
Representative Biography
Alejandro Vigil, Winemaker
Two romantics, a winemaker (Alejandro Vigil), and a historian (Adrianna Catena) - go back in time to capture an era when European immigrants recently settled in Argentina, sought to make wines as fine, and finer than those of their homelands.
Adrianna Catena
Adrianna has been passionate about all things historical since she can remember. She grew up in Buenos Aires and later moved to California, graduating from UC Berkeley with highest honors (summa cum laude), and the Departmental citation in History.
She holds a doctorate in History from Oxford, and has been awarded fellowships by the Clarendon Fund, Balliol College, and Leverhulme Trust. As an historian, Adrianna has specialized in the Early Modern Iberian Atlantic, the histories of trade, consumption, and material culture (especially in relation to dyes and textiles), from the Renaissance to 1800.
She is also passionate about food – a champion of sustainable, organic farming, Adrianna loves cooking and believes in finding the freshest local ingredients, growing whatever she can at home. She lives in North London with her husband and two sons, Antonio and Camilo.
Alejandro Vigil, Winemaker
“Winemaking is a way of life that revolves around contact with nature and a true love for the work. To produce wines from a place you need to breathe the same air as the vine, suffer the cold and the heat, and feel a sense of belonging to that place”
Alejandro Vigil
Alejandro Vigil is a graduate in agricultural engineering from the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias in Mendoza, Argentina, where he went on to receive master’s degrees in both winemaking and irrigation management. He began his career in the National Agricultural Technology Institute, where he took over the Soil Analysis Department at the age of 28.
Alejandro started working at Bodega Catena Zapata in 2002 as head of Research & Development. In 2003 he joined the enology department, focusing on the winery's top wines. And in 2007 he was named Winemaking Director. His strong scientific background led to important developments in both vineyard management and winemaking.
In 2008, Alejandro and Adrianna Catena created El Enemigo Wines.
Alejandro holds the highest rating ever given to a pure Cabernet Franc wine by Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, awarded to the Gran Enemigo Cabernet Franc from Gualtallary, Mendoza.
A naturally restless person, Alejandro strives to channel his creative energy into pushing the limits of conventional viticultural and winemaking wisdom.
Alejandro lives with his wife Maria and his two young children, Juan Cruz and Maria Giuliana Francesca in what he likes to call La República de Chachingo (The Republic of Chachingo), a country village in Mendoza where neighbors make wine together and raise their own pigs and chickens, which they share cooperative-style.
Please note, the winery representatives will not be traveling to Ontario this year.
Why We're Cool
El Enemigo Chardonnay 2018
First white wine of the portfolio | High-altitude vineyard (1.500 masl) with cool temperatures. | Located in Gualtallary, Uco Valley. | Calcareous and rocky soil.
Full-bodied, complex and elegant with a long and persistent finish. Great structure and balance, Mineral profile. Biologically aged. Incredible aromatic complexity:
Roasted hazelnuts | Dried apple | White pepper | Pear | Cooked apricot | Spicy curry | Mushrooms
Harvest Report
“El Año Mendocino,” the Mendoza Year we call it. After a small cool vintage 2017, which we call “El Año Bordelés” (the Bordeaux Year) and a small, very cool and rainy year in 2016 “El Año Bourguignon” (the Burgundian year), we finally got a vintage that is classically Mendozan: dry, cool, sunny and with moderate yields in every region from the lowest to the highest altitudes.
Cool Nights and high day-night Thermal Amplitude:
The summer of 2017 started out warm but then cooled off during the 2018 harvest months of February, March and April. This, in addition to the lower rainfall, gave rise to optimal balance in the fruit, with beautiful natural acidity, regional aromatic expression and smooth tannins.
Early by Two Weeks:
A warm summer followed by the cooling effect of the Pacific over the Andes during the months of February, March and April gave rise to a slightly earlier (by two weeks) harvest in 2018.
A Dry Year:
There was a decrease of about 100 mm (4 inches), about 30% less rain in every region.
Adrianna Vineyard (Gualtallary, Tupungato Alto, Western Uco Valley):
A spring frost reduced yields by about 20%, but we saved most of the harvest by turning on anti-frost cans in Adrianna. A nice dose of goat and sheep dung and worm compost kept the organically farmed Adrianna Vineyard happy throughout the growing season.
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
Russian River Valley & Sonoma County, USA
About Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Gary Farrell Winery is widely acclaimed for its vibrant, seductive wines that are defining a new generation in California winemaking with their captivating complexity, textural richness and impeccable balance.
Drawing on four decades of achievement in the Russian River Valley, unparalleled access to some of the finest vineyards in the region, and the innovative craftsmanship of star winemaker Theresa Heredia, Gary Farrell Winery is uniquely positioned in today’s marketplace.
Theresa practices site-specific winemaking, a thoughtful approach that seeks to capture a sense of place in the wines, giving each vineyard a voice to express its unique interaction of soil, vine, climate, and farming. She works closely with an all-star lineup of vineyards that are prized for their exceptional fruit, including Rochioli, Allen, Bacigalupi, Hallberg, Ritchie, Durell and Gap’s Crown. This combination of meticulous winemaking and top-quality vineyards has resulted in annual, superlative accolades for Gary Farrell Winery.
Representative Biography
Theresa Heredia, Director of Winemaking
Theresa Heredia brings extensive experience with cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as small lot, single-vineyard wines, to her position as Director of Winemaking for Gary Farrell Winery. She specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from some of the top vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast and is guiding the evolution of the Gary Farrell Winery house style while maintaining the signature elegance, balance and bright natural acidity.
Theresa joined Gary Farrell Winery in 2012 and was previously at Joseph Phelps’ Freestone Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, where her Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought the winery significant critical acclaim. She made the first vintage of Freestone wines in 2002 when it was still an experimental project at Phelps, and she later moved to the Sonoma Coast to open the new Freestone winery in 2007. In early 2012 she was named “Winemaker to Watch” by the San Francisco Chronicle, reflecting her interest in wines that offer a pure expression of their vineyard site and her willingness to experiment with different winemaking techniques.
Theresa has a hands-on, Burgundian perspective with her winemaking, having worked in France at Domaine de Montille. She trained with renowned winemaker Craig Williams at Freestone and at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in the Napa Valley, after starting her career as an enologist for Saintsbury. Theresa was a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry with an emphasis on enology at U.C. Davis, before leaving to follow her calling as a hands-on winemaker. She has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Why We're Cool
What is it about the Russian River Valley that speaks to you as a winemaker/vintner?
The weather during fruit ripening is generally sunny and warm during the day, but cool and foggy at night and into the early morning hours, which allows the fruit to develop intensity and concentration, while retaining acidity. The Russian River itself acts as a conveyor belt, pulling the fog from the Pacific ocean through the vineyards, chilling down the grapes after warm sunny days. This diurnal fluctuation allows winemakers the opportunity to pick early with the goal of capturing purity and natural acidity, while also achieving desired hang-time for optimal flavor development.
What are the qualities that define a Russian River Valley Chardonnay?
Chardonnays from the Russian River Valley are deliciously lemony, with fresh, bright natural acidity and distinct minerality. They are complex, yet eminently drinkable and food-friendly. The reasons for this are primarily due to the unique climate. The diurnal fluctuation creates wines with vibrant aromatics, intense fruit flavors and an incredible expression of site specificity.
“My approach to winemaking is very much about taking advantage of specific vineyard and fruit qualities,” says Theresa. “I like to tailor the winemaking techniques specifically to each block of fruit that we receive separately. My job is to treat it as gently as possible so that we end up with a balanced wine.” Our focus on earlier harvesting, moderate new oak and fresh acidity, leads to Chardonnays with captivating complexity, textural richness and impeccable balance.
Wagner Family of Wine
Santa Lucia Highlands & Monterey County, California, USA
About Wagner Family of Wine
The Wagner family is proud to showcase a collection of wines that have earned a reputation for quality and consistency, sourced from premier wine growing regions of California.
It's been over 40 years since Chuck Wagner, along with his parents Charlie and Lorna Wagner, founded Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Chuck Wagner continues to make two world-renowned Caymus Cabernet Sauvignons - “Special Selection and “Napa Valley”.
Chuck’s older son, Charlie, produces coastal Mer Soleil Chardonnays and is Director of Winemaking for Conundrum and Red Schooner Malbec. Red Schooner, a Malbec made from grapes grown in the Andes Mountains and shipped chilled to Napa Valley. Charlie’s latest endeavor is Sea Sun Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Sea Sun Chardonnay launched in 2018, intrigued by the potential to create a wine that showcases his favorite characteristics of Chardonnay. He then set his sights on creating Sea Sun Pinot Noir; layered and approachable, shaped by subtle differences in the places where they grow the grapes.
Older daughter Jenny is winemaker for Emmolo Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. Both wines feature a style not typically expected from their production in California.
Representative Biography
Carrie May, Canadian Division Manager
Carrie May entered the beverage alcohol industry as a sales representative in 1999. Taking a leap of faith with little to no experience in sales or wine Carrie dove in with both feet furthering her education and
knowledge of the wine industry. It didn’t take long to find her passion.
In 2015 Carrie was hired by Andrew Peller Import Agency as the Ontario Division Manager responsible for the growth and distribution of numerous suppliers, including Caymus. After working closely with the
Wagner Family Carrie was hired to work directly for this wonderful family managing Eastern Canada. In 2019 Carrie took over the role of Canada Division Manager. As Wagner Family Wines Canadian Division Manager, Carrie oversees distribution of Wagner Family Wines (WFW) through a network of provincial Agents, brands including;
• Caymus Cabernets & Zinfandel
• Mer Soleil Reserve barrel fermented & Silver unoaked Chardonnays
• Conundrum White & Red Wines
• Emmolo Merlot & Sauvignon Blanc
• Sea Sun Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Bonanza Cabernet
• Red Schooner Wines of the World
• Caymus Suisun Grand Durif (petite syrah)
“I truly believe in the words of Chuck Wagner, “Our biggest fortune is good company, great food and
delicious wine.”
Why We're Cool
“The SLH is directly influenced by Monterey Bay as our vineyards are 15 miles down wind of the Bay. The wind starts up every day around noon which brings Pacific Ocean breezes through the vineyards. Some days you can actually smell the ocean in our vineyard blocks. Because of this our days remain cool. We typically harvest fruit on acid levels rather than brix. We need to wait for the natural acidity to drop to a tolerable level before we harvest. Because of our California sunshine we have full sugar ripeness each year. This is what makes SLH my favorite place in CA to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Our winemaking style lets the Vineyard (and the fruit) shine. A small percentage of new French oak is added to the cellar each year and our wine undergoes partial Malolactic fermentation to create a bit of creaminess but still remind you the wine is from a cool region.” – Charlie Wagner
Planeta
Sicily, Italy
About Planeta
Planeta is a producer of wine, the heritage of seventeen generations. An extensive voyage through time but also through Sicily – a true continent of wine – and present in five of its most representative regions: Menfi, Vittoria, Noto, Etna and Capo Milazzo. In each of them Planeta has carried out careful research, ranging from the adaptability of international grape varieties to indigenous vines, including some historic varieties.
The production of IGP olive oil, the development of hospitality and cultural ventures have been added to their activities in the field of viticulture; a veritable mosaic of projects devised to enliven ‘the Sicilian experience’. Ethical means of production and respect for the environment, the countryside and the culture of each area, including sustainable and lasting methods of agriculture, with wineries completely integrated within the landscape are the values which guide the company’s activities.
Representative Biography
Patricia Tóth, Winemaker
Patricia Tóth was born in Hungary where she grew up in her family home in the countryside. She received a degree in 2004 at the University of Corvinus in Budapest in Food Science specializing in wine, beer and spirits.
Having a particular love for grapes she began to work as a winemaker: in her working experience there are various known wine cellars such as Le Vigne di Zamò Friuli, Bava in Piemonte and Vylyan in Hungary.
Since 2005 she has collaborated with Planeta first responsible for the production in Noto, after in Vittoria, later managing the setup of the estate in Capo Milazzo and also actually, on the Etna. Responsible for the sustainable farming program, and part of the Business Intelligence team.
In between time Patricia produces grapes in a 4 hectare vineyard near Lake Balaton, in Hungary.
Why We're Cool
Planeta family's winemaking story started, and walks hand in hand with the Chardonnay's in Sicily. The biggest island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, Sicily has temperate climate, with contiguous natural air movement, and extremely diversified geographical conformation, which factors are already providing numerous sites for keeping on the cool side our grapes.
Ulmo and Maroccoli, amongst our first vineyards, around where we grow the Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc grapes, have three plus factors to provide the freshness, being situated on, and above a lakeshore, being protected from an eventual sirocco effect from the seaside, and being situated between 250 and 500 meters asl.
Within the 35 years of experience from the first plantations we’ve managed to fine tune the vineyard cycle in a way to harvest great crispy grapes, improving every year on the canopy and cover crop management. In the last decades we are also observing a significant rise of the rain averages, which gave a shift to the weather conditions, moving towards the western direction.
Dalrymple Vineyards
Tasmania, Australia
About Dalrymple Vineyards
Dalrymple Vineyards, one of Tasmania’s leading boutique wineries, was established in Pipers River by Bertel and Anne Sundstrup in 1987. They were visionaries, travelling to France for inspiration and guidance.
The original vineyard overlooks the Bass Strait – the wild sea separating Tasmania from the mainland – and shares similar conditions to those found in Burgundy.
Dalrymple Vineyards crafts some of Australia’s most distinctive cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with complex characters, weight, texture and flavour.
Representative Biography
Elisabeth Muir, Market Manager, Canada
Liz began overseeing the Negociants International portfolio across Canada in 2012.
She has built wine brands in Canada since 2001, first with the Australian Wine Bureau (Wine Australia) and subsequently in marketing roles with distributors Brave New Wines, Diamond Estates and Corby / Pernod Ricard.
Liz's interest in wine took hold early – somewhere between the family dinner table and a formative visit to a Champagne house. This passion eventually led her to Australia, where she became one of a handful of Canadians to obtain a Diploma in Wine Marketing at the University of Adelaide.
Having since returned to Canada, Liz represents Negociants International from her adopted hometown of Toronto.
Why We're Cool
The primary influence for Dalrymple Vineyards is the Bass Strait, the body of water that separates Tasmania from mainland Australia.
The sea temperature ranges from 12°C in the winter to 17°C in the summer, having a cooling influence on the northwesterly winds that pass over the vineyards. This airflow moderates summertime temperature, helping to extend the season for slow ripening and intense, delicate and refined flavours. It also increases average humidity and provides the occasional coastal rainfall during summer. The proximity to the sea and the slope of the vineyards also helps minimize frost incidence during the sensitive springtime period.
When Dalrymple Vineyards was established in 1987, it was the hills overlooking Bass Strait that made the site unique and inspired the Hill-Smith family to purchase the vineyard in 2007, in their pursuit to produce some of Australia’s most distinctive cool-climate wines.
The Vineyard:
The Dalrymple vineyard is just over 6 kilometres from Bass Strait. The soils have a large quantity of basalt rocks that provide good drainage of water through the profile, while allowing vines to penetrate to great depth, accessing water in dry conditions.
Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay:
The Cave Block Chardonnay is sourced from blocks that are located on a hillside facing northeast. The slope is quite steep with the foot at 87 metres and the top of the hill at 163 metres. These blocks are approximately 4 ha in area. Latitude: 41.08, Longitude: 147.18.
The fruit from the estate gives the Cave Block Chardonnay naturally higher acidity, with concentrated elegant fruit characters from the deep loam soil, old vines and cool maritime climate.
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