Winemaker Notes
The Catena Malbec would be a wonderful complement robust red meat dishes, any agro dolce sauce, or to an earthy dish like Lamb Tagine with Dried Plums.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is quintessential Argentine Malbec. Aromas of roasted black fruits and smoke transition to a toasty, oaky palate with a spectrum of flavors ranging from herbal to jammy berry. In between are notes of tobacco, spice and molasses.
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Wine Spectator
An intense red, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, kirsch, dried beef and baker's chocolate that are flanked by notes of tobacco leaf and ginger. The powerful finish is filled with sanguine details.
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.
Most distinguished and celebrated from Argentina’s Mendoza, Malbec has seen runaway success since the early 2000s. Mendoza’s agreeable, continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters allows the perfect conditions for growing outstanding Malbec. This grape is easy to like for its lusty, deep flavors and aromas of blackberry, plum, red cherry, autumn spice and tilled earth. It’s easy to find delicious, fruit-driven, affordable everyday examples and in prices beyond, quite exceptional ones with dense, supple textures that make them capable of aging.