Reviews

Profile: Enate, Somontano, Spain
Blog Entaste.com, 28 June 2009

Enate winery can easily win a “Best view from the reception” competition.

It is not just a landscape, it is a stunning, unfolding at almost 180 degrees panorama which can be seen from a long horizontal window. The eye at once catches an impressionist island in the centre — a manmade forest of bended beams growing from the whitish soil. The attention then moves to small, facing in all directions vineyard plots, bare rectangles of red earth, chaotically spread bushes and trees, low wooded hills in the background, amazingly blue sky with a fleet of white clouds sailing on the day of the visit…

The company does not own the lands which constitute the landscape (except, of course, for the forest installation — Enate commissioned it to replace a burnt house, according to PR manager). But from the onset the Enate team believed that the beautiful place next to Salas Bajas village would be the best medium to transmit the essence of a new winemaking project.

When Enate was founded in 1991, the idea was to start a new tradition in Somontano that would present wine in artistic light and that would have a strong link between winemaking and art. The idea since remained unchanged. A new born company did not have a historic heritage of winegrowing or winemaking, thus art was chosen as a point of its differentiation.

The artistic angle first emerges in the winery design. It was commissioned not to an anonymous bureau, but to then young and promising Madrid architect Jesus Manzanares. The project later helped him get various other commissions including Alvaro Palacios winery in Priorat, and now he is known as a specialist in winery design. The winery was built in two stages, the first phase was completed in 1993, and the second in 1997. Since then the project had a high profile in the press, including specialized architecture and wine publications. The project was also presented in Sean Stanwick and Loraine Fowlow book Wine by Design, published in 2005.

Enate undoubtedly leaves a great impression on visitors. One notes clean, straight lines, unexpected solutions for space, well thought out use of natural and artificial light and — despite a huge area of 12,000 square metres — a precious sensation that the winery is immersed into natural environment. Along with the earlier mentioned view from the reception, a great viewing point, surrealistically doubling the space thanks to mirror windows, is found on the terrace next to the bottling room. Inside, the bottling area (perfectly suited for an avant-garde industrial show) impresses as much as famed aging cellars. The latter occupy 1500 square metres and can store up to 4000 barrels. Their much publicized photos with red barrels, red ceiling and two connecting lines of light in a faraway perspective can be called the winery’s second signature.

Why second? Because works of art remain first. Starting from its debut vintage in 1992, Enate features reproductions of paintings by leading modern Spanish artists on the labels. As they say in Enate, each bottle is a tribute to art. These paintings are but a small part of the collection which currently counts over 180 works presented in a winery’s gallery. Around ten famous Spanish names such as Antoni Tapies, Eduardo Chilida, Antonio Saura, Salvador Victoria and others made artworks especially for Enate. (While in the gallery, I saw a painting and remembered an Enate bottle tasted five years ago in Moscow — another proof of how powerful images can be.) The winery keeps in contact with all artists or their families, and this friendship certainly makes it easier for Enate to purchase new works for the collection. The winery also has a special fund to support young promising artists. One artist receives 12000 euros as an Art fellowship every year.

Objets d’art (paintings, sculptures, installations, etc.) are also present throughout the winery. A new point of attraction is a recently created wall panel. It consists of multiple squares, each featuring the most important elements of the winemaking process and the drinking ritual. Among others, one finds symbols of earth, grapes, time, glass and even our human reactions to wine. It is a captivating piece, it was a shame we didn’t have time to explore its 108 cells, but, at least a photograph of the panel remains in my archive.

And what about wine? After all, Enate is not an art museum, but a winemaking enterprise, and among the top three in Somontano. The company is correctly called Vinedos y Crianzas del Alto Aragon, but its easily pronounced trademark Enate, under which all wines are sold, have de facto replaced the name of the winery.

The company representatives didn’t show the vineyards to our journalist group. According to the company information, last year Enate owned 500 hectares of vineyards in three Somontano valleys. A hundred and thirty hectares, planted in 1992-1998, grow in the Cinco Valley next to Enate hamlet (also the origin of the brand’s name). The largest holding of 225 hectares is situated near Barbastro, the capital of the Somontano wine region. Another 140 hectares are located in Torrefierro, to the south of Barbastro.

Later, though, we did manage to see some Enate vineyards — thanks to winemaker Lorenzo Otto Bestue (from a young and promising family winery Otto Bestue) who showed his plots in the Cinco Valley. It is impossible not to notice Enate presence there — firstly, because of a giant billboard and secondly, because Enate is one of the largest vineyard holders in that part of Somontano. The Cinco Valley is considered one of the most favourable places for winegrowing in the region and yields superior grapes.

Along with grapes from own vineyards, Enate buys grapes from independent growers, that is an additional 100 hectares. Cultivation of these plots is controlled by the company.

It is worth mentioning that Enate agronomists are armed with an impressive arsenal of ultramodern tools to tend vineyards such as lasers for preparing and planting new vineyards, controlled underground irrigation, satellite information systems, etc. Important practices of winegrowing include environmentally friendly cultivation (only natural substances are used on the vineyards), low yields and manual harvest.

The winery capacity is 4 mln. bottles per year. The company exceeded the limit in 2004, having produced 4,1 mln. bottles, but in the past four years the figures stayed between 2,6 and 3,4 mln. Last year production sharply dropped — from 3,4 mln. in 2007 to 2,6 mln. in 2008 (a similar pattern occurred between 2004 and 2005 — 4,1 mln. and 2,8 mln. accordingly).

Enate cultivates almost half of the thirteen officially approved varieties in Somontanto — Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The focus is on red wines (80%), the rest is spread between white (15%) and rose (5%). The company exports about 30% of total production which is in line with average export figures for Somontano.

The range consists of 12 wines, of which there are four whites (Chardonnay 234, Chardonnay Fermentado en Barrica, Gewurztraminer, Uno Chardonnay), one rose (Rosado Cabernet Sauvignon) and seven reds (Cabernet Sauvignon — Merlot, Crianza Tempranillo — Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah — Shiraz, Merlot — Merlot, Varietales, Reserva Especial).

The tasting of the whole range at the winery in May 2009 left with a split impression. After a spectacular art presentation and having witnessed numerous proofs of huge investment into the Enate project, a ‘spectator’ expects at least fine, if not outstanding, examples of the winemaking skill. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen (at least, to me). The wines do have a certain quality level, and the PR department does its job by attaching a list of medals and awards to each wine’s technical sheet. Yet, with a couple of exceptions, expectations and reality do not match. Heavy extraction, too much oak, an obvious ‘commercial’ taste, lack of elegance and complexity are my main claims against the general style of Enate wines. And more so, prices are higher than in other Somontano wineries. Or is that an extra charge for art?

Wines are presented according to the tasting order.

2008 Chardonnay 234, 13,5% alc (label — Pepe Cerda)
Grapes come from 234 plot, planted in 1992. Vinification in steel tanks.
Limpid yellow-straw colour. Fresh citrussy nose with a sweet overtone of apple and exotic fruit. The wine is medium bodied, with a good acidic backbone and mineral background, but flavours are too sweet and spicy. A similarly sweet, spicy finish which after disappearing returns with a light kick. 86

2006 Chardonnay Fermentado En Barrica, 13,5% alc (label — Antonio Saura)
Fermentation and aging for 8 months in new French oak barriques. Starting from 1999 the influence of oak is slightly cut — 5% of wine ferments in stainless steel vats, and 5-10% of wine has no malolactic fermentation.
Limpid golden colour. Open, intense nose of sweet vanilla, yellow and tropical fruit. Creamy wooded flavours, dominating above everything else. Palate is medium bodied, very intense, yellow fruit overlaid by quite expensive oak, well integrated acidity. Medium finish. 86

2008 Gewurztraminer, 13,5% alc (label — Vicente Badenes)
Vinification in steel tanks.
Limpid yellow. Intense aromas, typical of Gewurztraminer, with rose, litchi, perfumed soap and a green vegetal tone. Palate is fresh, medium bodied, dry, less perfumed than the nose, rose, litchi, plenty of spice, a mineral streak and again the same vegetal note like in aromas. Empty finish, tastes raw, as if unready. 84

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon — Merlot, 13,5% alc (label — Alberto Carrera Blecua)
Aging 5-6 months in second year American and French barriques. Average production is 1,5 mln. bottles.
Dark cherry colour. Open, expressive fruity aromas, mostly of ripe cherry and plum. Palate is fresh, easy to drink, quite simplistic though, accent on dark fruit, the finish is grainy. 83

2004 Crianza Tempranillo — Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc (label — Victor Mira)
70% Tempranillo is aged in American barrels, Cabernet Sauvignon — in second year French barriques. Further bottle aging minimum 2 years.
Cherry colour. Reduction straight after the bottle was opened, then aromas opened with soft notes of plum, cloves and charcuterie. Palate is fresh, fruity, plums and cherries are giving way to dried fruit, medium intensity, ripe tannins. Very drinkable. Finish is spicy, dryish and lightly bitter, with medium length. 84-85

2003 Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc (label — Manuel Broto)
Grapes come from the first company vineyards planted in 1992-1993. The wine is aged one year in new French barriques and three years in bottles.
Dark cherry colour. Open, lifted nose of cherry and plum dusted with sugar, medium depth. Palate is juicy, medium intensity, dried cherries, savoury notes, drying tannins. Finish is staying. 86

2008 Rosado Cabernet Sauvignon, 13,5% alc (label — Victor Mira)
The colour is obtained through a short contact of must with skins. Vinification in steel tanks.
Dark pink colour. Fresh, bright aromas of red berries. Palate is full, sweet strawberry and raspberry with peppery spice. Finish is weighty, staying, sweet. 83

2006 Syrah — Shiraz, 14% alc (label — Manuel Rivera)
A new wine, second year of production. Grapes come from two plots, one is grown to the Rhone clones, the other — to Australian clones. Aging in new French and American barriques for 17 months.
Dark ruby-cherry colour. Open, broad, slightly alcoholic aromas with ripe blackberry and a touch of ground pepper. Palate is juicy, nice concentration, pure black fruit, smoky, nice ripe tannins and a streak of minerality, with spiciness in the background. Finish is spicy, nice medium finish, generally reasonable oak handling, but at the end the wood gives a drying bitter feel sensation. 86

2005 Merlot — Merlot, 14% alc (label — Frederic Amat)
Aging in new French barriques for 18 months.
Cherry colour. At first reduced, then the nose opens up with intense, lifted aromas of plums and floral nuances. Palate is too extracted, warm, a lot of chocolate and dried fruit, spices, taste of iron, drying and bitter tannic structure. Dry finish. 84

2004 Varietales Dos Mil Cuatro, 14% alc (label — Salvador Victoria)
Merlot, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Aging for 15 months in new French barriques. Average production — 8,000-9,000 bottles.
Dark cherry colour. Deep, intense, sweet, meaty, balsamic aromas. Palate is fresh, very intense, balanced, dark sweet fruit, spice, plenty of balsamic notes, velvety texture, oak is well blended. Good staying power in the finish. A blockbuster. 90

2001 Reserva Especial, 14% alc (label — Rafael Canogar)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Aging in new French barriques for 17 months.
Cherry colour, changing to garnet. Focused, deep, intense nose of black fruit, balsamic and a hint of truffle. Palate is fresh, too concentrated, fresh and jammy dark fruit, expressive balsamic notes, wood is still unpolished, drying. Heavy finish. 89

2006 Uno Chardonnay, 15,5% alc (label — Erwin Bechtold)
Super limited production, made for the second time (first vintage in 2003). Grapes come from a one hectare single vineyard called Planacor. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and further aging (from 3 September 2006 to 22 February 2008 for this vintage) took place in new French barriques. The wine retails at around 300 euros.
This is my second tasting of Uno 2006, the first was held in January this year in Madrid, and conclusions are the same after both. The wine is rather a demonstration of ultimate winemaking possibilities and ambitions rather than a humble interpretation of its place. There is too much of everything, it tires too quickly. ?