Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Catena Alta contains an 8% dash of Cabernet Franc from Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. The wine was aged for up to 18 months in new and used barrels. It’s garnet red in the glass. The complex nose showcases dried flowers, blackcurrant, hints of jam and gentle red pepper notes against a cedar backdrop. Lean in feel with expansive, grippy tannins, the flow is well-channeled with good volume. A lovely, continental Cabernet.
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James Suckling
Red chili pepper and clove spices to the currants and savory tobacco leaf. A tight and juicy delivery on the palate with a full body and nicely clutched tannins. Lovely grip. 92% cabernet sauvignon and 8% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon contains 8% Cabernet Franc that seems to have given it an extra touch of freshness in this warm year. It's varietal, peppery and herbal but with ripeness and 13.7% alcohol. It's medium-bodied with abundant herbal flavors and very fine tannins.
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 export 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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.