Reverse Wine Snob

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good

  • About
  • Aldi® Picks
  • Costco® Picks
  • Trader Joe’s® Picks
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
menu icon
go to homepage
Get Our Free Guide!
search icon
Homepage link
  • FREE GUIDE!
  • Insider Deals
  • Best Of Lists
    • - Costco
    • - Trader Joe's
    • - Aldi
  • About
  • The Rating System
  • More Helpful Links
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    El Enemigo Cabernet Franc - Substantial

    By: Jon Thorsen Published: October 21, 2022 Last Updated: October 24, 2022

    A wine you can really sink your teeth into! We check out the latest vintage of the deep, dark and absolutely delicious El Enemigo Cabernet Franc, available at a great Costco price.

    El Enemigo Cabernet Franc - Substantial

    92% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec from vineyards at around 4,700 feet of elevation in Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. The wine spends 16 months in French oak, 20% new, and has just 1.65 g/L of residual sugar.

    Once again, we found the El Enemigo Cabernet Franc for $19.99 at Costco while the average price on wine-searcher is quite a bit more at $28.

    The estate is owned by Alejandro Vigil (who also makes the wine) and Adrianna Catena. It is imported by Winebow Inc.

    From the bottle:

    El Enemigo The Enemy Cabernet Franc.

    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.

    13.5% Alcohol

    As we've noted many times in the past, Argentina is about much more than Malbec. And one of the more exciting varietals coming out of this region currently is Cabernet Franc, a variety that we love. We've got a number of exceptional examples in our list of the best Cabernet Franc.

    Today, however, is a bottle that without Costco's low price wouldn't normally fall within our price range. Sure, it's still just a penny under our limit, but it's worth every one of those pennies in our opinion. And in fact, this latest vintage (2018) is even better than the last time we tried it (the 2015).

    The 2018 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc begins with a serious, but very attractive aroma of red cherry and dark berry fruit, herbs (but no green pepper), cedar, leather, black pepper, spice and a hint of crushed rock.

    Tasting reveals a deep, dark and absolutely delicious wine especially after a couple hours of air. Savory, ripe, juicy and fresh the wine features similar flavors to the nose plus chocolate, a little earthiness, touches of tobacco and vanilla and a burst of black pepper notes on the mid-palate.

    It ends very long and juicy on the dry, chewy finish that also features the return of that crushed rock/mineral hint from the nose. The wine was even a bit better on day two. This is excellent!

    2018 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc

    Taste: 10 (94+ points)      Cost: 1
    OVERALL RATING: 7.8

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

    And here's our previous review of the 2015 vintage:

    The 2015 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc begins with a serious, but very attractive aroma of red cherry and dark berry fruit, herbs (but no green pepper), cedar, leather and spice.

    Tasting reveals a deep, dark and absolutely delicious wine especially after a couple hours of air. In the mouth you'll find similar flavors to the nose plus chocolate, a little earthiness, touches of tobacco and vanilla and a burst of black pepper notes that lead into the long, dry, chewy finish.

    2015 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc

    Taste: 9 (91-93 points)      Cost: 1
    OVERALL RATING: 7.0

    RECOMMENDED BUY

    Looking for more of the best wines at Costco? Click the picture below to find all of our recommended wines plus tips and tricks for shopping the wine section!

    The Best Wines at Costco - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

    You may also want to check out more of our favorite wines from Argentina here.

    Filed Under: Argentina, Cabernet Franc, Costco, Thanksgiving

    << INSIDER DEAL! Darn Near Perfect Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
    INSIDER DEAL! Vigilance Cimarron - One Finely Crafted Cuvée >>

    About Jon Thorsen

    Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...

    Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals Header Square
    Limited Time offers with amazing discounts just for our readers.

    Don't Miss Out!

    About Reverse Wine Snob

    Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good! Jon Thorsen is an independent wine consumer who has been helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob® sign up for my free guide and don't miss our exclusive Insider Deals! Read more about Reverse Wine Snob in the news and about me.

    Reverse Wine Snob Logo

    Join over 450,000 followers on social media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Get Our Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine Without Breaking The BankReady to start drinking the best wine of your life, and save money doing it? Sign up for our 5 Day Free Guide!

    Learn More

    Helpful Links

    • - Ask The Expert Series
    • - Browse by Variety, Region, etc.
    • - Buy My Book on Amazon
    • - Get Our Free Guide
    • - How To Choose A Good Bottle of Wine
    • - Insider Deals
    • - Insider Deal FAQ
    • - Printable Lists of Recommended Wines
    • - Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • - The Rating System
    • - Wine Tasting Basics

    • - Advertise
    • - Contact Info
    • - Submit Samples for review

    How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Tired of wasting money on bad wine? Sign up for our Free Guide!

    No commitments, no spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Best Of Lists!

      • - Aldi Wine
      • - Best Pizza Wines
      • - Best Red Wines of 2022
      • - Box Wines
      • - Cabernet Sauvignon
      • - Chardonnay
      • - Chianti
      • - Costco Wine
      • - French Wines
      • - Italian Wines
      • - Malbec
      • - Merlot
      • - Oregon Wines
      • - Organic Wines
      • - Pinot Noir
      • - Red Blends
      • - Rosé
      • - Riesling
      • - Sauvignon Blanc
      • - Spanish Wines
      • - Sparkling Wine
      • - Syrah
      • - Thanksgiving Wines
      • - Trader Joe's Wine
      • - Vegan Wines
      • - Zinfandel
      • And Many More Best of Lists

    Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

    Copyright © 2011–2023 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy