Red Wines	Bordeaux Red Blends	Argentina	South America

My Rating (circle) :

Date Printed: 11/21/2008

Catena Zapata 2003

(search item no. 89350)
collectible wine
Wine Spectator rating: 94 points
PRICE ON 11/21/2008: $89.00

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2004 The Wine Advocate rating: 98 points
2004 Wine Spectator rating: 95 points
2002 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
2002 International Wine Cellar rating: 93 points
2001 Wine Enthusiast rating: 90 points
2000 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
1999 The Wine Advocate rating: 94 points
1999 Wine Spectator rating: 93 points
1999 Wine & Spirits rating: 88 points

Winemaker's Notes:

Nicolás Catena Zapata is made from a selection of the best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec in the Catena Zapata Vineyards. The first Nicolás Catena Zapata was made in 1997, a phenomenal Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in Mendoza. The 1997 Nicolás Catena Zapata was released in 2000 through a series of blind tastings held in the USA and Europe where it was compared blind to Chateau Latour, Haut Brion, Solaia, Caymus and Opus One. The Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997 came in either first or second in every tasting. This wine is only produced in outstanding vintage years.

72% Cabernet Sauvignon; 28% Malbec

The core Cabernet Sauvignon fruit component was sourced from Lot 3 of La Pirámide vineyard. With exceptional homogeneity and balance, these Cabernet Sauvignon grapes offer rich cassis flavors, supple texture and excellent structure. Two additional components of Cabernet Sauvignon were sourced from Lot 2 of the Domingo Vineyard and Lot 5 of the Adrianna Vineyard. These high altitude, cool climate vineyards provide fruit with ripe red currant flavors, strong mineral tones and notes of eucalyptus and black pepper.

The core Malbec fruit component was sourced from Lot 3 of the Adrianna Vineyard, the highest Malbec vineyard in Mendoza. This extremely cold, mountain microclimate produces exceptionally concentrated Malbec grapes with dark fruit flavors, perfumed violet aromas and well structured tannins. A second component is sourced from Lot 1 of the southerly located Altamira vineyard. Another cool area for Malbec, the fruit from this vineyard presents ripe cassis flavors and well balanced, racy acidity.

My Notes:

customers who bought this also bought:

Nobilo 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (search item no. 93876)
Beringer 2004 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (search item no. 90994)
Marques de Caceres 2001 Rioja Reserva (search item no. 90465)

Additional wines from Catena:

2001 Zapata (search item no. 81912)
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (search item no. 87769)
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (search item no. 91311)
2005 Alta Chardonnay (search item no. 93216)
2006 Chardonnay (search item no. 93336)

About Catena:

In 1902, Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant, planted his first vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina. The winery has been in family hands for three generations. For the past two decades, owner, Nicolas Catena Zapata and his team of winemakers and viticulturalists have studied the different microclimates and terroirs of Mendoza to determine the best areas and vineyard techniques to grow the winery’s many varietals.

Nicolas Catena Zapata believes that the terroir of Mendoza’s high altitude wine country (3,000 - 5,000 feet) is unique to the world. The temperature, low humidity and scarce rainfall create ideal conditions for making distinctive wines that can stand with the best in the world. In 2001, Nicolas Catena Zapata inaugurated a new winery inspired by Mayan architecture. The unprecedented, state-of-the-art winery is located at 3,100 feet above sea level in the heart of the 18 year old Uxmal vineyard. The winery was designed to embody the heritage and individuality of Mendoza’s wine country, while fulfilling Catena’s quest to place Argentine wines among the best in the world.