Suckling 96 and #5 Wine of the Year:
This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always.
And Wine & Spirits 95 – their top El Enemigo ever, above even the winery’s top $125 offerings:
This wine showed its pedigree in our blind tasting, where its rich, layered orchard-fruit flavors were buttressed by well-integrated acidity. Pour a glass, put the rest into a decanter and enjoy the slow reveal of its white-mineral savor and golden wheat-field complexity. Winemaker Alejandro Virgil fermented the fruit—from Gualtallary and Tupungato—in 500-liter French oak barrels (35 percent new), allowing a partial veil of yeasts to form. With its elegant balance of complexity and power, this offers the satisfaction of a compelling white Burgundy on its own terms—a conversation starter and driver. Pretty stellar stuff.