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| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 150 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by PITT Wine Guy on 3/28/2024 & rated 95 points: 2005 Catena Zapata Nicolas
Cellared since release
Bottle opened 20 minutes prior to pouring at wine dinner.
Purple core with slight lightening at the rim. Nose of black fruit, tobacco, and smoke.
Rich, black currant fruit with great depth and concentration creating a lush mouthfeel, accompanied by good acidity, freshness, and complexity to go with a 30+ second finish.
Excellent showing for this Argentinian Cab – Malbec blend, which never disappoints, currently drinking at its peak. I suspect it has 15 to 20 years of pleasurable drinking ahead.
95 points. (309 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 2/14/2024 & rated 94 points: Superbe encore une fois.
Notes similaire à celle bue en 2022! (671 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 2/12/2024 & rated 95 points: I brought this to an Argentinien restaurant to share with my wine group. Opened, but not decanted for over an hour before pouring. Our WOTN. Still packing a lot of fruit. (521 views) | | | Tasted by Mss0904 on 10/7/2023 & rated 94 points: This wine needed a couple hours to open up, and once it did, it didn’t disappoint. Floral cherries and chocolate on the nose. Deep dark chocolate covered cherries and plums, with textured mouthfeel of milk chocolate and ripe plum. (867 views) | | | Tasted by peterk on 7/22/2023: The wine itself is lovely. But the bottle is weighs 1.2 kg, meaning the winery is shipping more glass than wine. I wonder what the carbon footprint is. (1067 views) | | | Tasted by Hendmo on 5/21/2023 & rated 93 points: Out of Magnum. A beautiful bottle in the early to mid stage of development, still fresh and pure black and purple fruits, but with developing nuances of tobacco, spices and a hint of slate. Tannins well integrated. Ready to go with a couple of hours in the decanter and delicious. Highly recommended. (1139 views) | | | Tasted by vinocastpr on 5/9/2023 & rated 96 points: Does not feel like an 18 year old bottle at all. Incredibly smooth, full body, notes of plums, chocolate, and espresso. Drinking great right now (1155 views) | | | Tasted by tomoem on 2/25/2023 & rated 95 points: Open that bottle night 2023.
Another wine that was an absolutely stunning wine tonight. Still despite being 19 years old, this wine is still very young. Creamy textured malbec with such restrained spices and pepper that I typically would fault in a Malbec. How is this wine such a great expample and how did I never come across this level of this wine. I know that I have Zapata wines but never this good. Worth finding. (1474 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 10/22/2022 & rated 93 points: Bu au chalet de François pour accompagner les
steaks de la face de boeuf de Ayers Cliff.
LA cuvée phare de Catena.
En carafe pour 4 heures et remis en bouteille
non bouchée pour un autre 2 heures.
Super ample et complexe.
Des cerises, des fleurs, de la terre, du menthol,
des cerises et des mures se succèdent.
Se fut le vin qui a le mieux accompagné la viande pour moi.
Les tannins sont charnus et bien enrobés.
La finale hyper longue et bien persistante.
Son opulence et sa superbe concentration en
font un vin particulièrement délicieux.
J'ai adoré cette bouteille.
SUPERBE! (2003 views) | | | Tasted by glassofhans on 10/3/2022 & rated 92 points: I went into this wine not knowing what to expect - I've never had a 15+ YO Argentinian Malbec before. And truth to be told, I cannot say this is my style at all. It is made with great finesse, and hits all the right notes one would expect from a professionally made wine - good acidity, great length, complexity etc. But I cannot detect much "tertiary" developments - it tastes as young as it probably did when it was first bottled - does it mean it should age even further, or this is how it is? The wine is also made in a heavy, chocolate style - which of course is what folks go for when drinking Argentinian Malbec, but for someone who's trained on Cahors, it doesn't quite do it for me.
All in, I prefer the (slightly) lighter more elegant styles that achaval ferrer produces over Zapata. (1429 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 8/24/2022: Coming on the heels of a Dunn and Gruard Larose this was another style and it took some time to realign to that. It's bigger and bolder and despite having almost 20 years of age now it tastes awfully similar to what I expect it tasted like when it first came out. Lots of fruit and lots of spice and a bit more heat. A wine that seems like it could last for forever. I would want to know what it tastes like 20 years from now. (1631 views) | | | Tasted by Goldstone on 6/4/2022 & rated 92 points: Shane & Caroline's Engagement Lunch (The Conservatory, Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): A couple of bottles opened after the main red and decanted only a maximum of 2 hours, which is not enough for this wine even at 17 years old. Almost fully opaque black red except for slight maroon meniscus. Nose is very tightly coiled black anthracite and deep-frozen black fruit. Palate is bitter Chinese green melon if melon can be black. Very tannic on the back end. There is gorgeous structure and elegance here but it is all hidden by too short a decant. Easy to make this mistake. 92 for this experience but this has been 96 for me recently in better circumstances and after a 5-hour decant. (1948 views) | | | Tasted by levicn on 5/29/2022 & rated 92 points: 深宝石红偏紫色，闻香有明显奶油味，青草，紫罗兰和成熟黑果香气，橡木桶的烘烤气息，入口酸度中高，酒液甜美，单宁紧致，细腻如粉，紫罗兰，黑果混合着青椒味，还有一些果糖香气，酒液粘稠，甜美愉悦，口中生津不止，后段辛香料感，余味成熟黑果和香料。 (1501 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 5/4/2022 & rated 93 points: Toujours aussi bon.
Complexe et racé.
Beau fruit et belle complexité, c'est velouté
et super long. Vraiment extra. (1762 views) | | | Tasted by grub94 on 5/3/2022 & rated 93 points: At 17 this wine has a ways to go. Dark cherry, fresh forest loam, leather and dark berries on the nose. More on the palate with fine tannins still left. Balanced acidity for a solid finish. Glad to have a couple more bottle left. (1216 views) | | | Tasted by redhead6971 on 2/23/2022 & rated 93 points: Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes
Winery: Nicolas Catena Bodega Catena Zapata
Varietal: 78%Cabernet Sauvignon 22%Malbec
Area/Appellation: Mendoza, Argentina
Vintage: 2005. Price: $100
Color: Dark Opaque purple Ruby. Legs: moderate to fast
Nose: Blackberries raspberries some mulberries noticeable earth oak loam,
Palate: blackberry, rich cassis and oak, still strong earthy tannins,
Finish: lots of black currant, cassis and oak. Finish goes on for a good 30 seconds, impressive
Comments: This one has aged the slowest out of all four bottles. It is definitely reticent in showing itself. This is a wine that is one to compare to Bordeaux, Napa and to other 2005‘s from all the major wine regions across the world. It has remained consistent, strong, earthy along with being very well structured with magnificent fruit and notes for the past 15 years. I’m going to start looking for some more 2005. Drink now through 2035.
Pairing Suggestions: Blue cheese, lamb, dark meat turkey, roast pork, skirt steak fajitas,
Score in terms of Vintage: 93
Score for the Wine: 93
Value for the Money: Excellent 🥉
Date Tasted: 02/20/21
Tasted by: ACK (1463 views) | | | Tasted by Ramberg on 1/27/2022 & rated 87 points: Actually very nice for a 3:d world wanna be Bordeaux imposter.
However, as always, you can always immediately tell the difference from the real deal.
Nose with oak and extracted fruits, dark plums, black inky fruits, lots of smoke and charcoal, oak spices and some black current.
Sweet currents and black and purple fruits, jammy plums, lots of sticky chocolate, pepper, heavy oak handling is evident - heavy extraction too, with heat /alcohol on the finish.
I bought this 2010 and kept it in my cellar to see what might happen with a herald wine from a herald producer - give it a good chance, but will not do the mistake again.
I don't believe another 10 or 20 years will level things out and turn this into a good wine.
The terroir, the vines and the winemaking is simply not there.
Still - enjoyable - but there are so many simpler French and/or Italian wines at much lower prices performing so much better, so why even bother buying this?
I know for sure I wont. (181 views) | | | Tasted by mankam on 12/28/2021 & rated 92 points: Took a couple of hours of decanting before it was ready. The bouquet is fruity and pronounced. The taste is a liitle more acidic than I expected. (1335 views) | | | Tasted by VinnieVeritas on 10/24/2021 & rated 92 points: The tannins have further refined, the wine shows no other indication of its age. Lovely. (1647 views) | | | Tasted by Messorio on 4/30/2021 & rated 96 points: Absolutely stunning wine. Still very young, people estimated around 2013. Should have taken notes. Long, mouthwatering, silky finish. Think i bought this for around 60€, a steal at this pricetag. (2219 views) | | | Tasted by TMacpherson on 3/6/2021 & rated 98 points: What a wonderful bottle of wine. Nose was like a perfect blend of toasty oak and ripe blackberries and dark plums. Overall seamless body with very smooth tannins and a continuation of that wonderful sweet (but not fruit bomb sweet) flavors of black raspberries, blackberries, and fully ripe grapes. Delicious! One of the better wines of the year. (2350 views) | | | Tasted by Schiffy on 1/29/2021 & rated 95 points: Full throttle, big, rich, dark blackberry fruit; almost chewy with terrific notes of lavender, chocolate and cassis. After just 20-30 minutes, this Malbec opens up to smooth tannins and a full dark berry finish. Absolutely delicious. (2319 views) | | | Tasted by Harley1199 on 12/25/2020: 2020 Family Xmas; 12/23/2020-12/27/2020 (Alicante - España): Bottle opened two hours before the traditional Christmas meal. Cork compromised in the extraction but came out as a whole. Very dark colour with purple trim. Initially notes of stable that gradually dissolve in the air and offer memories of black berries, plums, rusty iron, bleeding flesh, sweet and spicy spices. This absence of balsamics is appreciated. Good definition and complexity. On the palate has density but balance with a penetrating acidity. Tasty and with length not free of depth and a delicious aftertaste. Could say that it behaves like a RdD. Including a high alcohol content that leaves its heat in the throat. An excellent masculine wine that I find very solid and a bit monolithic when in fact I expected something more of elegance and finesse. Merry Christmas!
Botella abierta dos horas antes de la tradicional comida de Navidad Corcho compremetido en la extraccion pero salió entero. Color muy oscuro con ribetes púrpura. Inicialmente notas a establo que poco a poco se disuelven en el aire y que ofrecen recuerdos a bayas negras, ciruelas, hierro oxidado, carne sangrante, especias dulces y picantes. Se agradece la ausencia de balsámicos. Buena definición y complejidad.
Al paladar tiene densidad pero en equilibrio con una penetrante acidez. Sabroso y con longitud no exenta de profundidad y un delicioso retrogusto. Se podría decir que se comporta como un RdD. Incluido un alto grado alcohólico que deja su calor al pasar por la garganta. Un vino masculino excelente que encuentro muy sólido y un pelín monolítico cuando en realidad esperaba algo más de elegancia y finura. ¡Feliz Navidad! (2496 views) | | | Tasted by redhead6971 on 7/25/2020 & rated 93 points: Anton’s Wine Tasting Notes Nicolas Catena Zapata
Winery:Nicolas Catena
Varietal: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon 22% Malbec
Area/Appellation: Mendoza Argentina. Vintage: 2005
Price: $100 Wine bid.com
Color: purple/violet. Legs: dead slow
Nose: blackberries, truffles, moist wet earth,
Palate: loads of blackberries, currants, truffles, plums, cedar, vanilla, oak,
Finish: blackberries, pepper, cardamon spices, tannic still after 2 hour bottle decant,
Comments:wow this can go 20+ years maybe more.
Pairing Suggestions:beef tenderloin, braised pork chop
Score in terms of Vintage: 93
Score for the Wine: 93
Value for the Money: excellent
Date Tasted: ACK
Tasted by: 07/25/2020 (2548 views) | | | Tasted by Kevnzworld on 1/28/2020 & rated 96 points: Drank at Morgan’s La Quinta after a quick decant.
Deep dark big and balanced with a great toasted vanilla finish
Dark berries in the beginning with good developing secondary flavors of earthy tobacco mid palate .
This is drinking great , no sharp edges.
It only improved in hour two. (2611 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Alistair Cooper MW
Decanter, Catena Vertical (2/13/2019)
(Catena, Nicolas Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of the Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997-2012 (Oct 2016) (10/1/2016)
(Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, January/February 2009, IWC Issue #142
(Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/10/2008)
(Catena Zapata, Nicolás Catena Zapata Mendoza Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Catherine Fallis, MS, ACWP
Sommelier Journal, April 2009
(Nicolás Catena Zapata, Mendoza) This impressive, concentrated blend of the best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the Catena Zapata vineyards offers aromas of cherry, plum, cassis, vanilla, and cedar. On the palate it shows dark-berry, earth, mushroom, mocha, and smoky-oak notes, followed by gripping tannins and bright acidity on the long finish. Often presented blind to the trade, it has performed favorably alongside Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, Solaia, and Caymus. Decanting recommended. Special Report: Argentina |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Sommelier Journal. (manage subscription channels) |
| Bodega Catena Zapata Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
In 1902, Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant, planted his first vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina. The winery has remained under family control — now in its fourth generation — and is one of the few family-owned wine companies in Argentina that remains in Argentine hands. Owned today by Nicolás Catena and his daughter Laura, Bodega Catena Zapata is known as the pioneer of fine wine from Argentina, and Nicolás is recognized as the vintner who revolutionized wine quality in Argentina. A trained economist, Nicolás began this revolution in the early 1980s and continues to challenge himself and his team to make wines that can be counted among the best in the world. His measured approach to viticulture has taken its place in wine history as the pioneer of Malbec and high-altitude viticulture.
Head winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, has been at Catena Zapata since 2002. A naturally restless person, Alejandro strives to channel his creative energy into pushing the limits of conventional viticultural and winemaking wisdom. Always ready to try something new, full of endless experiments, Alejandro’s goal is to constantly increase his understanding of the unique terroir in Mendoza’s high-altitude desert oasis.
Catena wines, first launched in 1992, set a new standard for quality in South America. The wines immediately proved the quality potential of Argentina and garnered the first outstanding reviews for Argentine wines from worldwide media. After more than 20 years, the wines of Catena continue to lead the way in Argentine viticulture and winemaking. Nicolás Catena Zapata dared to plant vines where no one thought they would ripen. His high-altitude wine revolution culminated in the discovery of a new terroir for wine, the Adrianna Vineyard, at almost 5,000 feet elevation. Today, the team at the Catena Institute of Wine is dedicated to studying every meter, every rock, every insect and microorganism in the Adrianna Vineyard, making it perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world.
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.Argentina Wines of Argentina
Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement. The wine-making region in Argentina ranges between the 22° and 42° South latitude. It spreads at the foothills of the Andean mountain range along over 2,400 km; from the province of Salta to the province of Río Negro, with a variety of climates and soils that makes each region a unique land. In general terms, the areas dedicated to vine cultivation are dry and arid with a low level of rain and humidity, determining factor as regards grape health. Abundant sunny days and thermal amplitude favor a good maturity and concentration of aroma and color in the grain. Soils are deep, permeable and poor in organic matter, decisive qualities at the time of obtaining good wine. Due to the low rain regime, irrigation is necessary. Water comes from the Andean range thaw, descending in the shape of rivers to become channels or ditches. Undoubtedly, the combination of these factors turns Argentina into a veritable oasis for the highest quality wine-making. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Wine-making in Argentina, at the level that it achieves today, has a young history that goes back to a little more than 10 years ago. Technological progress, investment and some farsighted businessmen enabled a determining transformation. The province of Mendoza is the most traditional area in the viticultural industry, and is diverse enough to be divided into zones, according to their significantly different weather, height and soil characteristics. These include the Northern Zone, which is suitable for fruity whites and young reds, at a height from 600 to 700m; the Eastern Zone, with a height ranging from 600 to 700m, and the most productive zone in the province; the Uco Valley, a zone of colder weather and higher altitudes (between 800 and 1,400m over sea level); San Rafael, with heights ranging from 450 to 800m; and the High Zone of the Mendoza River, with heights ranging from 800 to 1,100m over sea level and various microclimates, this is the zone where almost all noble varieties have easily become adapted. It is a region that is remarkably well-suited to vine culture, protected from the Pacific’s cooling influence by the Andes and enjoying a long summer of cool nights and warm days, with a dry summer climate but plenty of water available from the region’s rivers. Malbec in particular is outstanding from this area, and it has clearly emerged as the star, the darling of both consumers and critics.Mendoza Wines of Mendoza |
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