This green-tinged, pale yellow wine showed one-dimensional right out of the fridge, with a substantial oak punch and a strange (hard to recognize as chardonnay) dry herbal bitterness. Both of these tastes recede as the wine warms and opens, with attractive lemony tart and even tropical fruit coming on. Yet the wine’s taste profile remained different from any Chardonnay that I am familiar with. The oak and the fruit I could conceptualize as a mixture of Kendall Jackson Reserve and a good village level Chablis. The strange herbal taste mystery was solved by some research that revealed there is use of flor (as in Sherry!) in the making of the wine. Kendall Jackson and Sherry are not my thing. Overall, this is a more than drinkable wine and it will be finished, but I do not recommend it. Maybe for wine geeks?
Sounds like one to avoid!! Thanks for the head’s up.
I like this wine and think it’s a great QPR. Wonder if anyone else on here enjoys it.
Thanks for the warning. I’ve seen this at my local Costco, will avoid.
Jordan, you are not alone and many positive reviews like yours prompted me to try it. I was a bit surprised that it didn’t work for me. Cheers.
I enjoy this one as well Jordan, it helps that I had it for the first time in Mendoza at the El Enemigo tasting room/restaurant Casa Vigil so it will always have that romance to me. But I also find it kinda nuanced with a lovely mouth feel for the price given the ripeness of the fruit, the altitude, the oak treatment and of course the flor. Almost everyone I’ve poured it for seems to enjoy it as well from newbies to wine nerds. I do agree with Jim that I much prefer it decanted and cellar temp as opposed to straight out of the fridge
I opened the 2017 El Enemigo Chard for our blind Zoom tasting group last August. IIRC everyone was impressed by it and a number of the group bought some. The flor gives it depth and complexity that I wouldn’t have expected at that price point. I haven’t tried the 2018, though.
There are times when a “bigger” chardonnay is warranted. In my opinion, this is quite tasty and good value,on those occasions. Thinking possible a squash/pumpkin ravioli dish!? Anyway, not a normal buy for me but I remember thinking it was well made.
I picked up a bottle at Costco in Colorado Springs while on a trip there last year and really loved it. I think it was a “markdown” as, if I remember correctly, it was priced at only like $18 (and I believe normally would retail in the mid to upper $20s?). In any event I don’t recall the vintage but suspect it was the '17. I’m wondering if the '18 is significantly different, or if it was maybe even an off bottle?
In any event, consistent with the OPs note on the '18, it was like a nice blend of rich fruit (New World, or maybe even Meursault) and good acidity (Chablis)…but certainly no oxidized/sherry notes at all.