The Ambitious Enate Bodega: A Scrumptious Nine-Year-Old Cabernet Sauvignon

I was taken by Enate's Chardonnay 234 last December, so I was very eager to taste some wines from the bodega this spring. As with the vintage 2019 Chardonnay, the value on offer here is tremendous. 

In an exchange with winemaker Jésus Artajona after I tasted his excellent Chardonnay 234, he explained some particulars of Enate. Enate is not only a bodega but also a small village in Somontano, near the Pyrenees and about half-way between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In 1992, the bodega planted 100 hectares in Huesca province, and they've kept busy ever since. Today they own 450 planted hectares!

While enjoying a Mediterranean climate, there is good rainfall (500-600 mm per year) plus snow melt from the mountains. In the valleys where the grapes are planted, breezes off the rivers refresh the grapes, as do the chilly mountain temperatures that creep down slope at night. All of these wines show excellent vivacity tying them back to their terroir. I highly recommend them all, the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva in particular for its incredible complexity and very gentle price. 

Red
91
Enate 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Somontano 13.5% $25
I love the inclination of Spanish wineries to release wines when they are ready to drink. This is a fine example of a bold red wine that is brilliant now and that would have shown very differently if released on a more "modern" schedule of 12 to 18 months post-harvest.  

Boisterous on the nose with pronounced aromas of spice drawer and cigar box accompanied by mashed mulberries and bramble, this is a thoroughly complex wine with earthy, mushroom-driven undertones and struck flint on the lingering finish. Though nearing nine years old, this wine continues to show a gutsy, fruit-driven palate. Moreover, the tannins are very refined and the acidity is supremely refreshing through the lingering finish. A brilliant value, this is an over-achiever. If only all wineries could release their wines at such a pinnacle!
Drink: 2021-24

Rosé
88
Enate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosado Somontano 14.5% $14
A deep, blood orange color, this rosado is charismatic. Popping with robust strawberry and watermelon notes, its mouthfilling body, well-placed acidity and wee touches of tannin make this rosado lean more toward red than rosé. Delightful and engaging, this is soulful rosado to accompany a wide array of full-flavored dishes throughout the year, not just in the summer!
Drink: 2021-22 

White
88
Enate 2019 Gewürztraminer Somontano 14.5% $14
Vibrant and lively with lychee and tinges of mandarin orange peel, this dry wine has ample body and a typical tinge of pithy finish. The juicy mid-palate core, pretty spring bloom aromatics and moderate finish give this a dynamic edge. I love it, but I suggest drinking it while its vivid aromas remain vitally young.
Drink: 2021-22