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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.9 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 165 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Grondal on 11/10/2023 & rated 91 points: Dårlig propkvalitet, umulig at åbne med alm. proptrækker uden den smuldrer. Lækker mørk, krydret duft. Også mørkfrugtet i smagen, bløde tanniner, lang eftersmag. Stadig intakt, men synger nok snart på sidste vers. (270 views) | | | Tasted by jkoenen on 11/2/2022 & rated 93 points: Still very much alive and kicking.
Black cherries in front, juicy and meaty midpalate with hints of smoke, tar, iron and ink, wonderful freshness all the way into the long, balanced and dark-chocolate sprinkled finish.
Damn tasty! (616 views) | | | Tasted by noni15 on 9/16/2022 & rated 93 points: Second and last bottle, honestly I was not expecting much considering that my first bottle was ok but way over the peak. This one even though you can tell that in its finals days I could get many secondary aromas and a few tertiary tones. No doubt this wine is fragile as it is coming to its final days ...just do not decant the wine for more than 10-15 mins. ( not much residues anyways), a very good aged Malbec. (625 views) | | | Tasted by noni15 on 7/17/2022 & rated 90 points: Way passed its peak...unfortunately...no fruit left....this wine was gorgeous probably 6-8 years ago.....bump.... (659 views) | | | Tasted by willfab60 on 6/8/2022 & rated 91 points: Still has a good amount of fruit. Black berries, nice viscosity and a hint of sweetness. (733 views) | | | Tasted by tfesmgk on 9/11/2021 & rated 91 points: Really good. Lots of fruit, & spice with some tannin. (714 views) | | | Tasted by Acohen on 11/26/2019 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit with soft tannins and nice leather and tobacco (1163 views) | | | Tasted by bradfriedlander on 9/9/2019 & rated 92 points: Still has a lot of fruit. Dark and rich. Soft tannins. Really paired well with hamburgers, truffle cheese, and roasted eggplant spears. (1169 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 10/18/2018: Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): Interesting how these wines age (or don't age as the case may be). This wine could easily have been just a few years old. Bright red fruits. Lots of pepper. Served slightly chilled and it was just right. Created a touch more balance for this. Still very very young. This wine has a long life ahead of it. (2732 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 10/2/2017 & rated 92 points: Rich, concentrated, dark fruit, spice, tar and licorice flavor with a solid backbone of tannins. (2642 views) | | | Tasted by Uncle John on 5/17/2017 & rated 92 points: This is what made me fall in love with Argentinean Malbec. So soft and delicious with a velvety mid palate and finish. (2929 views) | | | Tasted by NineteenEightyTwo on 4/16/2017 & rated 87 points: Opaque garnet color. Aromas of currants, with some burly meaty notes. The palate is rather simplistic, with a bit of black fruit and sweet oakiness. This lingers on the finish with some tannic support. A pleasant sipper without any glaring flaws, but not one of the all-time greats (from this region, or generally). This will survive a few more years in the cellar, but it's doubtful that additional maturation will yield much improvement. (2422 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 3/19/2017 & rated 93 points: Cinnamon, cedar forest, rose and dried herb scent. Begins with plump, juicy dark fruit and picks up tension mid-palate. Blackberry, spice, mint, mocha and tobacco flavor with ample fine tannins. Initially, upon opening, a bit tight. We will see if it relaxes after breathing. Oh what a difference breathing made - raised the rating two points. (2460 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 12/13/2016 & rated 90 points: Much better on day #2 -- still lively and young. Dark fruited, somewhat earthy and smokiness. Long finish for Malbec. Well made - not flabby. (2335 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 10/2/2016 & rated 92 points: Last bottle, still going strong, nice fruit w a bit of smoke, not a lot of secondaries. (1601 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 7/29/2016 & rated 94 points: Bursting with fruit and flavor without being over-the-top. A beautiful, voluptuous and well-proportioned wine. (1369 views) | | | Tasted by Bellissimo on 6/25/2016: Dropped into a decanter. Consumed over the course of 3+ hours.
After 30 minutes really opens up. Dark black cherry, mocha, cinnamon, allspice, kirsch, mocha. So much going on. Luscious mouth feel. Fully integrated tannins. If you have the patience to sit on these for 10 year, congrats, you are in for a treat. (1398 views) | | | Tasted by neurovino on 6/10/2016 & rated 92 points: What PlaneTX said, and it was good straight out of the bottle - no need for air, although it may have softened slightly over the course of dinner. (1606 views) | | | Tasted by PlanetX on 4/17/2016 & rated 92 points: Luscious soft dark fruits with well integrated new oak. Can likely go for a few more years. (1558 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 4/15/2016 & rated 90 points: Occasional tasting group (By TBa @ WN Top South America plus some extra's.): In the bouquet black forest fruits and some vanilla. On the palate dark berries, a touch of sweetness, good acidity and slightly sticky tannin. The tannin is slightly sticky and there is some pleasant bitterness. Overall a good wine, but not really complex or exclusive. Young maturity now. Keep until 2018+. (1849 views) | | | Tasted by Uncle John on 3/4/2016 & rated 91 points: Beautiful dark Malbec fruit but this lacks acidity and structure to be a great bottle. (1120 views) | | | Tasted by tantotinto on 11/18/2015 & rated 91 points: Soft and mellow at this point. The fruit is less primary. Earth, cherries and dried figs with mulling spices. If not past its best it is at least very different. Still very good but not in the best spot for my palate. Last bottle but would not wait long if I had more. (1515 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 6/7/2015 & rated 94 points: Rich and lively pure dark berry, spice, mocha and tar flavor with a solid structure. (1794 views) | | | Tasted by KC Lawyer on 5/8/2015 & rated 92 points: Still tangy with fruit that is full but not at all jammy; undertones of spices. Wonderful - wish I could figure out what the best food pairing would be! (2146 views) | | | Tasted by bin905 on 4/29/2015 & rated 92 points: OMG. Eleven years old and still vibrant and hedonous. Sensuous spice, ripe dark fruit and kirsch aroma. Chocolate, mint and tart red cherry flavor with ample fine tannins and a long finish. My favorite Malbec. (1705 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| 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.
Malbec Varietal character (Appellation America)
One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. With its natural balance, good pairings include: cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat, pâté, spinach soufflé, and hearty pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra.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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