Catena Zapata Nicolas 2014
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Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Tasting
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Let the Nicolás Catena Zapata open in a decanter while you grill a Bone-in Ribeye Steak to perfection. Pour yourself a glass. Bliss.
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very deep and dark with enormous concentration but also a lot of finesse. There’s some toast and chocolate from oak, as well as great freshness. Stunning harmony and a very long finish that tells a totally fascinating story. A blend of 73% cabernet sauvignon and 27% malbec. Drink in 2020.
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the standouts in this stacked lineup is the 2014 Nicolas Catena Zapata, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Malbec sourced from a multitude of vineyards (La Pirámide, Domingo, Adrianna and Nicasia Vineyards) that spent two years in new French oak. Boasting a deep ruby/purple color as well as blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, damp earth, classy oak, white flowers, and tobacco leaf, this beauty is full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with both richness and freshness. Made in a semi-classic style, with textbook Cabernet notes as well as a polished, pure, ripe style, it’s a brilliant wine from this estate that will keep for two decades or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Named after the winery's owner, the 2014 Nicolas Catena Zapata is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec that has been produced since 1997. They use grapes from Nicasia, Adrianna and La Piramide vineyards, mixing grapes from Valle de Uco and Lujan de Cuyo. The blend varies slightly with the year, and in 2014 it is 73% Cabernet and 27% Malbec. It fermented in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels and saw 24 months in barrique. It has developed aromas and feels polished while showing elegance and very classical proportions.
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Decanter
Made with the fruit from three vineyards: La Pirámide in Agrelo, Adrianna in Gualtallary, and Nicasia in Altamira. It has a ripe nose of black cherry and dark chocolate, with fine-grained tannins on a mineral-drenched mid-palate and notes of cocoa nib and violets. An elegant finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035
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Tasting Panel
A creamy blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Malbec. Succulent berry notes precede the long and generous finish. A clean, refined wine.
Other Vintages
2020-
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Wine
Bodega Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's high altitude Malbec pioneers. The Catena family began making wine in Mendoza in 1902. Nicolas Catena, third generation family vintner, was one of the first to see the potential of Mendoza's mountain vineyards for producing high quality Malbec. In 1994, he became the first Argentine to exprot a world-class bottling of Malbec under the Catena label. Nicolas is joined by his daughter, Dr. Laura Catena, in their relentless pursuit of world-class quality from the family's high altitude vineyards. Laura has done extensive work in introducing Malbec and other varietal plant selections, soil and climate analysis, and sustainable practices throughout Mendoza. Head winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, has been at Catena Zapata since 2002 and works with Laura and Nicolas to make wines that express the family's vineyards and palate.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.