Catena La Marchigiana Bonarda 2020
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James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
Winemaker Notes
Concentrated blueberry and dark fruit laced with cedar, tobacco, earth and spice. Medium to full-bodied wine. Complex herbal notes. Finely grained tannins. Balanced, fruity palate. Natural, sulfite-free wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of crushed berries and hints of walnuts and mahogany. Some thyme. It’s soft and round with pleasing tannins and a fruity, creamy-textured finish. No sulfur added. Fermented and aged in amphora.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Catena La Marchigiana Bonarda is pleasing and fresh. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits appealing aromas of red and black fruits with a hint of spice. Enjoy it with grilled lamb chops. (Tasted: October 15, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2022-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
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.