Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The flagship wines begin with the purple/black-colored 2005 Nicolas Catena Zapata, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Malbec. The fruit was sourced from four of the estate’s finest high-elevation vineyards, and aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak. The brooding bouquet delivers pain grille, mineral, violet, scorched earth, pepper, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry aromas leading to a dense, opulent wine with gobs of savory fruit, ripe tannins, terrific concentration, and a 60-second finish. Allow it 6-8 years in the cellar to reveal its full potential and enjoy it from 2015 to 2030.
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Decanter
2005 was a cool vintage with generally low yields. This is made up of 78% Cabernet from Agrelo and Uco, and 22% Malbec from Gualtallary, aged for 24 months in French oak barriques. It has a deep, brooding, Cabernet-dominant nose with cassis, saddle leather, fig and cedar, and a very pretty, light floral touch. The palate has a dense, concentrated core with firm, rounded tannins. It's only just beginning to open up, revealing some leafy secondary characteristics. It will age majestically.
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Wine Enthusiast
Catena's signature wine is Cabernet Sauvignon-based, and it’s a purple haze of dense, exotic aromas that lean toward lavender, flower petals and black fruit. It's saturated and fruity to the point of no return, with impeccable structure and mouthfeel. An avalanche of flavor and style.
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Wine Spectator
Dark, but very alluring, with inviting incense, warm espresso and molten chocolate cake notes up front, followed by hoisin sauce, graphite, mulled black currant and blackberry fruit flavors. The long finish courses with fruit and loads of buried grip. Drink now through 2013. 500 cases imported.
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.
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.