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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 2/7/2024 & rated 92 points: Blind, 3 hour decant.
Dark garnet in the glass. Nose of pepper and a very, very slight note of game meat in the background. There was no hint other than that, of it being a Malbec. Some thought Cab. It was pegged correctly as New World by most, I think. It's age is well hidden by the beautiful fruit. Can't say that I've ever had a Malbec that exhibited less Malbec character than this one. Having said that, I am on record as saying most red grapes end up at the very end of their lives in the same taste profile place. This one has many years left but I really think it will uphold my belief that all reds end up being the same in the end. Maybe my 3rd WOTN? I wanted to give it a 94-95 but just couldn't given the fact that you couldn't accurately define the varietal, at all. 9 out of 10 couldn't tell. Only Ken who brought it, knew...... (706 views) | | | Tasted by Geaux Tigers on 4/9/2020 & rated 90 points: I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s sweet without being sugary, like a bowlful of blueberries mixed into blueberry jam, but not jammy in any sense. I’m sure there’s more to this wine, but BLUEBERRIES! They are here, they are there, they are everywhere. I don’t think this is flawed, and I’m certainly no Malbec savant, but this was a weird experience. In a guilty sort of way, it worked. Singular but still good. (1265 views) | | | Tasted by tedcholl on 12/13/2019 flawed bottle: This bottle was bad just like the first. Sour, vinegar taste and smell. Bottle and cork were in great shape. So sad (878 views) | | | Tasted by tedcholl on 11/13/2019 flawed bottle: Unfortunately the wine had a sour taste to it. Hope my second bottle does not have the same fault. (866 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 8/30/2019 & rated 91 points: Less balanced than a prior bottle, with both oak and heat more evident than I recall before. Nonetheless, a tasty, if straightforward, example of Malbec, held up very well to an array of roasted and grilled meats. (1039 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 7/18/2018 & rated 93 points: A Casual Dual-Themed Tasting (Bear and Star, Los Olivos, CA): Slow-ox'ed for 6 hours, and in prime form when poured. Powerful, rich nose of black and blue fruit alongside some licorice and a smoky leather kind of thing. More of the same on the palate, with a violet and spice aspect providing balance and energy. long, lush finish. Powerful and seamless, if not the most complex... (1489 views) | | | Tasted by Schiffy on 5/6/2017 & rated 96 points: And this Malbec has gotten better. Even more concentrated over time with dark blackberry fruit, cassis and explosive secondary flavors of mocha, chocolate and licorice. Perfectly balanced with a finish that goes on for a minute. This is at the pinnacle of Malbecs. (1272 views) | | | Tasted by aarongold on 3/6/2016 & rated 95 points: Superior soft red. Great nose and finish. (1517 views) | | | Tasted by Schiffy on 2/22/2014 & rated 94 points: You must decant this Malbec for three hours and then you start to fully enjoy the dark fruit complexity this wine has to offer. The dark blackberry fruit explodes in your mouth layered with hints of currant, mocha, spice and chocolate. As good as this is now, believe this Malbec gets better with age. (2719 views) | | | Tasted by VoteferPedro on 6/5/2012 & rated 91 points: Uncorked for 4 hours and consumed w grilled veg and cheese. Generally a fruit bomb without as much depth or interest as I had hoped. 90+ in quality but perhaps too much $ and storage expense (3676 views) | | | Tasted by Winevestor on 8/16/2011 & rated 90 points: I decanted this for 4 hours and it still was not enough. This is too young right now. It also seems to be going through a dumb phase, so it is hard to know how it wil develop. However the wine is big, with a big structuire - almost feeling like a cab, but it does have fruit profile and earthiness of a malbec. The score is low, because I don't know where this will go - it may be a lot better bottle to drink if it reaches its potential. (3645 views) | | | Tasted by alexaraujo on 1/17/2011 & rated 95 points: Simply put this is an amazing Malbec, well elaborated, with a profund and intricate complexity, full of flavors to explore.
Prepare the decanter because this wine need some oxygen to show all it splendor. (3579 views) | | | Tasted by hutch on 4/7/2010 & rated 92 points: Walker Portfolio Tasting (Al Forno): Big, rich, massive wine. But so yummy. 92-93 (4471 views) |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, January/February 2009, IWC Issue #142
(Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard Altamira 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.
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 MendozaValle de Uco On weinlagen-info |
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