Tequila Enemigo Finito
Tequila Enemigo Finito Extra Añejo, finished in a 'premier cru' wine barrel.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Tequila Enemigo)

Tequila Enemigo said recently that all 300 bottles of its Enemigo Finito ‘2024 vintage’, a ultra-premium Extra Añejo expression finished in a ‘premier cru’ cask, have been sold or allocated to collectors.

They were released at £1,050 each, but auction house Sotheby’s recently sold one of the bottles for $9,375 (£6,700), including buyer’s premium – outpacing a pre-sale high estimate of $5,000.

Sotheby’s was also the premier global retailer for the new luxury tequila. Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s global head of spirits, described Tequila Enemigo Finito’s 2024 edition as a ‘paradigm-shifting Extra Añejo’.

Tequila Enemigo said it ‘secured the selected [wine] barrel from one of the most prestigious estates in Bordeaux’.

It didn’t name the specific source of the cask, but it was understood to be one of the first growths featured in the 1855 Classification.

Only one barrel was produced and each bottle was numbered, with the recent auction lot representing bottle number ‘eight’ out of 300.

Tequila Enemigo cofounder Robin Clough said, ‘Finito is the culmination of our mission to challenge convention and elevate what Tequila can be.’

Clough added, ‘Finishing in Premier Cru barrels wasn’t just a technical decision – it was a creative one. The result is not only a collector’s item, but a profound new standard for Extra Añejo.’

There are a number of spirits that have been either aged or finished in casks previously used for wine.

Within the tequila world, Patrón Tequila’s ‘Gran Patrón Burdeos’ is a luxury añejo expression finished in ‘vintage Bordeaux wine barrels’.

Codigo 1530 Origen Extra Añejo is aged for six years in ex-Napa Valley Cabernet barrels, as previously featured on Decanter.

Scotch whisky distiller Glenmorangie launched its Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask collection in 2024, featuring whiskies part-matured in barrels sourced from Piedmont’s Barbaresco zone, Bordeaux’s Margaux appellation and Burgundy’s fabled Corton-Charlemagne.

Several Scotch distillers also employ ex-Sherry casks. This week, William Grant & Sons launched its Glenfiddich XS range, encompassing 15-, 18- and 21-year-old single malt expressions finished in casks including those previously used in the Sherry region, for Oloroso, Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.