2021 El Enemigo Chardonnay

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.

The chardonnays from Gualtallary, especially those that come from calcareous soils, as is the case with this El Enemigo, tend to be sharp, with the herbal and refreshing flavors of the mountains, but also with the firm texture full of sharpness that the calcium carbonate gives and that immediately differentiates them from other examples of the variety from lower altitudes in other Mendoza vineyards. There are plenty of ripe white-fruit flavors and mineral tones here, and the body is powerful enough for sea urchins. This comes from Gualtallary, from a vineyard at an altitude of 1,470 meters.