Winemaker Notes
This Malbec is tight, offers high acidity and lots of tannins. Agability is one of the hallmarks of this wine. Named after Nicolás Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A complex yet super discreet nose with hints of wet stone, wet earth, peppercorn and graphite to the red and blue fruits. An elegant expression but this has an intense mid-palate with tight but silky tannins. Long, complex and soft-spoken. Nothing conspicuous here. Impeccable interplay between concentration and purity. Will age really well. Drinkable now but better from 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae comes from 1.4 hectares within the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary, planted in 1992 at 1,390 meters above sea level. It's from a cooler year in Mendoza with some frost that delivered low yields and wines of good concentration and ripeness. It has 13.9% alcohol and notable acidity (7.3 grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine). Seventy-five percent of the volume started fermenting in concrete with 50% full clusters and the rest without stems or skins, only juice, in oak foudres and aged in oak barrels for 15 to 18 months. This is very straight, elegant and balanced, following the path toward elegance that started in 2019. The wine closed down in the glass and slowly unfurled layers of complexity. It's textured, with very fine-grained tannins and great balance, a very subtle note of spices and a very elegant mouthfeel. This wine has been getting better and better in the last few years, getting closer to the more austere profile of the River bottling from Adrianna vineyard (which is still a little more austere than this in the great 2021 vintage).
Rating: 98+
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.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.