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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2008 and 2014 (based on 7 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 55 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by NickNYC on 2/13/2022 & rated 89 points: P&P. good wine on the richer side. the nose is dominated by butter, bee wax, honey and apple. it is obviously ripe and evolved but not too evolved. the palate goes along, viscous but with good freshness. would not wait too long to drink up. (509 views) | | | Tasted by vinus_operandi on 3/24/2015 & rated 90 points: An interesting wine in that it changed for the worse as we extended the duration over which we drank this wine. Initially the wine is quite buttery on the palate with hints of hazelnut and some citrus. Nicely integrated and enjoyable right out of the bottle, the wine seemed to fall apart about an hour later. My wife was quite surprised at the changes as was I. (4565 views) | | | Tasted by Philippe_C on 12/13/2014 & rated 91 points: Powerful nose of brioche, buttery, vanilla, toasted bread... nice lenght, yellow and green apple, very fat and powerful, 30 sec finish, freshness with a hint of citrus (4742 views) | | | Tasted by LIE-user on 2/23/2014 & rated 92 points: Nice fruit with soft acidity. (5415 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 11/18/2013 & rated 92 points: Deep Yellow/gold color, nose of butter, toast and some ripe pear. smooth, relatively low acidity, very rich mouthfeel. Good contrast to the spicy aioli on the crab cake. Flavors reflex the nose along with some pineapple and generic ripe tropical fruit. Very buttery. (5954 views) | | | Tasted by WDSteers on 4/1/2012 & rated 90 points: Subtle pineapple,lemon and honey with minimal vanilla.
Nice bottle (7676 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 1/1/2012 & rated 92 points: Lots of butterscotch and pineapple on the nose. Nice balance and full round mouthfeel. (5138 views) | | | Tasted by Biglama on 11/30/2011 & rated 92 points: heerlijk glas, alles net wat rijper dikker voller dan een klassieke bourgogne, mooi gerijpt, heerlijk drinkbaar, zuiver en fris, fruitig, sinaasappel perzik (4714 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 11/6/2011: consistent tn's. This is not ageing too gracefully, sporting a bit of flab about its mid-section and suffering from a lack of acids. Aromas and palate too seem to be fading, rendering this a fairly unmemorable bottle. Funny though, how some at the dinner could quote scores for this wine and act like it still lived up to the hype. Meanwhile, I was happy to let them have their way and keep the spicy Rhone Blanc I was enjoying close at hand. Drink now, score: B/B+ (4042 views) | | | Tasted by AlanM68 on 8/7/2011 & rated 92 points: As good as the last bottle in may 2011. Lovely wine. (3701 views) | | | Tasted by Marcyrillo on 7/7/2011 & rated 90 points: A unica coisa que salvou da comemoracao de nosso aniversario de casamento! O fondue esta bem ruim e a lareira nao acendeu!!! Belo chardonnay, sempre uma referencia. (2825 views) | | | Tasted by Winiac on 6/29/2011 & rated 86 points: Unbalanced and hot with medium body. Got even hotter with food and cheese. (2573 views) | | | Tasted by AlanM68 on 5/22/2011 & rated 92 points: Straight from the fridge at 4c and the nose is flat and uninteresting. On the mouth it is richer and more interesting. Over the next half hour in the decanter it gets far more interesting, vanilla, honey, white flowers; it's rich and mouth-coating with a great length. This is a lovely wine and I'm delighted that I have a few left. (2799 views) | | | Tasted by cgrohman on 3/8/2011 & rated 96 points: amazing depth of character and flavor (3379 views) | | | Tasted by PourritureNoble on 3/6/2011 & rated 91 points: just very good QPR. as propably sead before, combines the richness you can find in new-world countries with nuances and balance you often only find in old-world wines. 91+. Still one of my favourits. (3049 views) | | | Tasted by cgrohman on 2/14/2011 & rated 96 points: amazing, perfectly level of sweetness, depth of flavor include apple, tree bark, a just the right amount of oak (3472 views) | | | Tasted by AdamWallstein on 1/19/2011 & rated 93 points: Great wine. Extremely lively and long. No alcohol taste to speak of. In a better place than the '06 currently. Tristan what do you think of that one? (3809 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 1/8/2011: I believe I understand this wine, and why some people think it's so fab; I'm not in that camp though. Too much oak clouds the bright nature of some fairly good quality juice. A respectable amount of acidity, above-average depth and pretty aromatics all get clobbered by the heavy-handed oak profile. Perhaps a bit less Malo would have worked too. Everyone's different I suppose, as some at the gathering simply could not get enough of this wine. Given some proper balance, I would be inclined to score this at say 90, perhaps even 91. 13,9% abv, approx $27, drink through 2014. (3902 views) | | | Tasted by PourritureNoble on 12/10/2010 & rated 92 points: very very good. I like this very much. Very rich but more balance than many american chardonnays you can find at this price point. One of my favourit white wines of last year. (3595 views) | | | Tasted by elledeca on 11/18/2010: Mig's Xmas tasting (Brussels, Belgium): more in a low key style, plenty of matter but delicate and balanced. too shy? (2132 views) | | | Tasted by Beck on 10/26/2010 & rated 92 points: Drank at the 2010 wine tasting. great bottle especially at the price i got it for. the slightly more oaky and lush fruit went over well (3849 views) | | | Tasted by tendring on 10/21/2010 & rated 86 points: Wine Education Service - Argentina (LSE): Slightly oaky but very delicate and pleasant nose.
A sweet attack and it remains almost sweet throughout, quite refreshing, a competent wine. (2819 views) | | | Tasted by hadwin on 10/21/2010 & rated 85 points: WES - Argentina (LSE Holbourn): Deep gold in colour. Vanilla on the nose, buttery and creamy with a touch of peach and creme brulee. Dry, fresh with ripe fruit. (3085 views) | | | Tasted by Mophair on 8/22/2010: Great bottle, very nice body, not alot of fruits when you first open the bottle, but nicely balanced. (4079 views) | | | Tasted by Rietdorf on 8/20/2010 & rated 91 points: Very new world style. Full bodied with a good balance. (3998 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, January/February 2010, IWC Issue #148
(Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay Catena Alta Mendoza) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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.
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeArgentina 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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