A great Malbec that continues to evolve nicely. Notes similar to my last tasting in 2022. This wine is highly extracted with bold dark fruit, well balanced with velvety mouthfeel and long finish.
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Mimics the 2005. Bursting from the glass. Fasten the seat belt before drinking. Velvet and power. Gigantic body. If Malbec could become even more complex this would be a constant 100 points candidate. Finish lasts for minutes.
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5 years since my last bottle… 30 min decant. Was an ok wine but nothing great before the meal arrived. Still a fairly dark garnet with a very thin translucent rim in the glass. Quite fresh on the nose and attack with plenty of dark berries. On the mid palate lacking a bit of concentration. Initially fully integrated tannins but with more air they become more prominent and somewhat drying. Once the steaks arrived this was just a perfect match though, and the wine continued strongly after dinner. There is good acidity and freshness but also this touch of sweetness joining the leather and dark fruits - I would have likely guessed old world styled Cali Cab (a la Monte Bello, Togni etc) mid 2000s blind.
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Heavy, dark fruit, some stone, cedar. Great with seared filet with butter/gorgonzola cheese toping, asparagus and double baked potato. Decant at least 3 hours.
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Decanted 1.5 hrs. Deep red purple with notes of dense dark fruit, cedar, glycerin with well integrated soft tannins. Finish was 30+ seconds. Overall, a very satisfying wine that paired nicely with grilled Bistro filets.
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A - deep ruby N - pronounced, developing; black cherry, blueberry, stewed fruits, toast, char, vanilla, smoke, meat, forest floor, earth. P - dry, med (+) acid, med (+) tannins, high EtOH (14.0%), full body, pronounced flavor intensity, long finish; see nose. C - outstanding (BLIC), drink now but can age a bit more, likely close to peak.
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Very different from my last bottle. This one felt massive and shut down. I had to decant it for 3 hours and even then it felt like a toddler. Big fruit covering broad tannins. I would leave this for a few years - I would hope it would open up. Big brooding monster this time around.
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very similar to my tasting note 3 years ago: dark purple with no hint of oxidation - intense voluptuous nose of blackberry, cassis and leather - big big mouth with soft tannins and nice acid-tannin-fruit balance - long 20-30 second finish - still plenty of life left, and would expect further evolution over the next 5-10 years, but drinking beautifully now so I'm not sure I would wait to enjoy it
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A great wine which I think gives a really good idea of what good Argentinean Malbec should be. Very smooth (which was surprising), plum, a little soy, wet stone and a little bit of rubber (almost like a tiny Pinotage hit). Very well crafted, in the middle of the drinking window. Still a long way to go. Will it get better? I'm not sure. I do think good Malbec on its own is an acquired taste. It is only a few people who get excited to pull one from the cellar. But this one I'm going to track happily and will pull the next one when I've got time to concentrate on it.
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A big Malbec, exploding with oak creme and vanilla, followed by cedar and unfolding into a big leathery beast. A great Malbec....Driink while its in balance and powerful. Its plenty polished...Dink or hold
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La bouteille est restée une année et demi légèrement entamée (2 verres soutirés avec Coravin). Pas oxydée mais plus tannique du tout. Fruité mais manque de complexité. Agréable mais ne vaut assurément pas les 96 pts de Parker.
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decanted for 1 hr and drank for 2 hrs - dark purple with no hint of oxidation - intense voluptuous nose of blackberry, cassis and leather - big big mouth with beautiful acid tannin balance - still plenty of life left, and would expect further evolution over the next 5-10 years - one of the best malbecs I've had in the last year
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I gave this wine a 92 rating back in 2012 and a 95 today in 2017. The well balanced flavors paired extremely well with the chimichurri steak we had for dinner and worked equally well post-dinner as we finished the bottle. With two more bottles in our cellar, I'm looking forward to even better in the years to come.
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Holy cow! Amazing and interesting nose of saddle leather,flowers and Asian spice. Unbelievably complex on the palate as it blows you away with beam of rasberry and mineral surrounded by blackberry and spice that goes on and on and reveals more flavours through the finish. It may have more time but I can't imagine it can get better.
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Very complex and opulent. Gets better after a few hours and becomes very smooth. Great Malbec, I like it. Drink now or keep it - this one can be kept for at least 10 more years.
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Slow ox'ed for 5 hours. Dark garnet with translucent rim. Big on the nose. Surprisingly developed on the palate, dominated by leather and tobacco notes, medium plus body on the mid-palate, not overly sweet, medium (+) finish. 93-94. I liked this a lot and the best Catena Zapata I have had, just not sure if this can last another 10-15 years as it seemed quite developed for such a big wine at age 10. So would drink now if you have a few.
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I did a Coravin sample initially to demonstrate the device to my son-in-law and that first sip was tannic so I splash decanted this which helped to soften the edges. A very well crafted wine with earthy old world style notes but only had a small glass as our family assembled for appetizers.
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My fifth bottle of this vintage and seems just to be entering its drinking window. Very pure fruit and luxurious oak. Perfect balance and no disturbing sweetness. Give it 3-4 days for the fruit and oak to settle.
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Escaping the fruitful, mellow aspect of the variety, to deliver a robust and overwhelming malbec, bringing elements of complexity and harmony found only on some of the best blends. Blackberry, plums, vanilla, all sort of spices, nutmeg, lemon leaf, smoke and gentler notes such as flowers and cinnamon. Huge tannins. Still quite harsh, but its flavors are undeniable, so physical, full and intense. Perfectly balanced. Already showing a very long finish, spiced and involving. Let it breathe for at least four hours before you take a sip on this unique malbec. 95+
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Decanted for 2 hours. Drinking beautiful with rich expansive dark fruit, spice, med-low acidity and a long finish. Great showing with Cassoulet. Should be even better in a few years.
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2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Ripe bramble fruits, walnuts, pink peppercorns and anise characterize the aromas and flavors of this opaque crimson wine. Massively extracted, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with heavyweight yet supple tannins, it remains rich through the middle palate and closes long. This bruiser screams for a nice, juicy steak! Despite its weight and extraction, it is already drinking well and should be at its best over the next decade. Drink now-2024.
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Fruit has mellowed out. Took a while to open up. Reticent at first. Tannins have softened. Nice (but lower) acid. Little muted. Shut down ? After an hour started to open up nicely and become more expressive.
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Very dark red with some purple added. Dark fruit on the nose. This did need two to three hours to open up. This just kept getting better as the night went on. The primary fruit flavors have matured and this has gained in complexity over the last two years. This shows that well made Malbec does benefit from aging. This had multiple alters of fruit that is drinking very well now.
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The first one I opened 18 months ago and had it open for 4 hours. It was awful. It just wouldn't open. 18 months later I tried again and this time it was much MUCH better after aeration and time left open.
Nose: dark fruit, chocolate, Taste: licorice, wood, blackberry
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Decanted 3 hours. These have closed down since release. Started to open up but really needs at least 2 more years. Primarily red fruited complemented by boysenberries, bittersweet cocoa and some rocky minerality. The elevation of the vineyard is obvious as this shows a lot cooler character than some of the other single vineyard bottlings. Well-made and I'm looking forward to seeing where my other bottles go in time. 92+
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Just not in a very good phase right now. Sure, a good wine, excellent fruit, but far from as spectacular as I remember it. Day 4 the fruit is really nice, upgrade to 92, but the ending is a bit thin. Wait 3-5 years, is my bet.
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I preferred this younger. Very fruitforward, very new-world like. Close to perfection and therefore also a bit boring. Two double decants and then 1 hr traditional decant.
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Double Decanted 2hrs. Tight initially, very pure aromas of black and boysenberry with some cocoa and smoke. Concentrated, fresh and clean. Medium to Full-bodied with very little weight on the palate. No heat. Very long lightly spiced fruit filled finish. Notable polished tannins. Plenty of structure to age 5+ yrs, but enjoyable now with a minimum 2-3hr decant. The single vineyard Catena's are some of the best made malbecs you'll find.
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This is a flagship winery from argentina. And malbec Adrianna is a single vineyard piece of a great terrunyo or terroir. Dark purple, almost black colour. Very clear and a little less dark at the edges. Nose is very impressive with lots of licorice, spices, chocolate, red fruits, mainly cherry and plum. On the palate, is full bodied, with still some harsh tannins to resolve, but has great potential! After one hour decanting it has softened a lot and was already pleasing and drinkable. Long aftertaste almost 45 seconds. Good acidity and freshness. I think this wine is not ready yet and people should wait at least 3/5 more years to start thinking about opening it. Thats what i will do with my next bottle. But, if opened now, its mandatory to decante/aerate for at least 1,5/2 hours.
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A very special wine with enormous concentration, unlike any other wine I have tasted. The fruit is obviously there but it is not too much and it is elegant and very smooth. The wine is very long (> 30 seconds) and it fills the mouth completely. Quite an improvement day two.
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Deep black with red rim. Nose packed with plums, black cherry, caramelized nuts, gravel, dusty wood and slightly hint of violets. On the palate the wine is bursting with dark blueberry fruit graciously paired with tannins and minerality. Outstanding Malbec
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Small tasting note from a Store tasting of the majority of Catena's current lineup. Dark purple to black in color. This wine was decanted for about 2 1/2 hours according to the rep and it was still tight, but more open than the Nicassa. The nose showed black fruit, a little blueberry coming through, vanilla, minerality, and oak tones. The palate was similar with mixed black berries, a little boysenberry, a little graphite, some vanilla, and tannin. Really nice mouthfeel and felt this was suprisingly open. Hold for at least 5 years based on todays showing.
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4/20/2024 - spendergast Likes this wine: 97 Points
A great Malbec that continues to evolve nicely. Notes similar to my last tasting in 2022. This wine is highly extracted with bold dark fruit, well balanced with velvety mouthfeel and long finish.
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11/24/2022 - jusuf wrote: 98 Points
Mimics the 2005. Bursting from the glass. Fasten the seat belt before drinking. Velvet and power. Gigantic body. If Malbec could become even more complex this would be a constant 100 points candidate. Finish lasts for minutes.
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4/9/2022 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
5 years since my last bottle… 30 min decant. Was an ok wine but nothing great before the meal arrived. Still a fairly dark garnet with a very thin translucent rim in the glass. Quite fresh on the nose and attack with plenty of dark berries. On the mid palate lacking a bit of concentration. Initially fully integrated tannins but with more air they become more prominent and somewhat drying.
Once the steaks arrived this was just a perfect match though, and the wine continued strongly after dinner. There is good acidity and freshness but also this touch of sweetness joining the leather and dark fruits - I would have likely guessed old world styled Cali Cab (a la Monte Bello, Togni etc) mid 2000s blind.
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3/24/2022 - MS86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep ruby with modest garnet fading at the rim.
Austere and quite attractive. Chocolate, vanilla, new leather and earth. Violet, Mediterranean herbs.
Lovely mouthfeel. Delicate while maintaining a sense of presence. Smooth, resovled tannins, refreshing acidity and perfectly integrated alcohol.
Palate brings forth the ripe black plum and blackberry that were missing from the nose. Chcolate, leather, tobacco leaf. Such wonderful integration.
Excellent length with hints of mint
Wonderful wine nearing peak.
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1/14/2022 - spendergast wrote: 95 Points
An excellent Malbec - very concentrated fruit with great balance, long finish. I don't think this wine has necessarily peaked yet.
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12/28/2021 - Kento61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Heavy, dark fruit, some stone, cedar. Great with seared filet with butter/gorgonzola cheese toping, asparagus and double baked potato. Decant at least 3 hours.
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11/14/2021 - spendergast Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 1.5 hrs. Deep red purple with notes of dense dark fruit, cedar, glycerin with well integrated soft tannins. Finish was 30+ seconds. Overall, a very satisfying wine that paired nicely with grilled Bistro filets.
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9/6/2021 - erter99 Likes this wine:
A - deep ruby
N - pronounced, developing; black cherry, blueberry, stewed fruits, toast, char, vanilla, smoke, meat, forest floor, earth.
P - dry, med (+) acid, med (+) tannins, high EtOH (14.0%), full body, pronounced flavor intensity, long finish; see nose.
C - outstanding (BLIC), drink now but can age a bit more, likely close to peak.
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3/25/2021 - pinotpounder Likes this wine: 94 Points
94 points
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2/21/2021 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very different from my last bottle. This one felt massive and shut down. I had to decant it for 3 hours and even then it felt like a toddler. Big fruit covering broad tannins. I would leave this for a few years - I would hope it would open up. Big brooding monster this time around.
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4/23/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 94 Points
very similar to my tasting note 3 years ago: dark purple with no hint of oxidation - intense voluptuous nose of blackberry, cassis and leather - big big mouth with soft tannins and nice acid-tannin-fruit balance - long 20-30 second finish - still plenty of life left, and would expect further evolution over the next 5-10 years, but drinking beautifully now so I'm not sure I would wait to enjoy it
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7/6/2019 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great wine which I think gives a really good idea of what good Argentinean Malbec should be. Very smooth (which was surprising), plum, a little soy, wet stone and a little bit of rubber (almost like a tiny Pinotage hit). Very well crafted, in the middle of the drinking window. Still a long way to go. Will it get better? I'm not sure. I do think good Malbec on its own is an acquired taste. It is only a few people who get excited to pull one from the cellar. But this one I'm going to track happily and will pull the next one when I've got time to concentrate on it.
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12/8/2018 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
A big Malbec, exploding with oak creme and vanilla, followed by cedar and unfolding into a big leathery beast. A great Malbec....Driink while its in balance and powerful. Its plenty polished...Dink or hold
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7/7/2018 - Al-Vino wrote: 92 Points
Two hour decant required. Still has lots of life left. Rich and bold with character to spare.
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5/31/2018 - Darkman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very suttle, elegant wine. All components are integrated, the wine is good to drink now. Don‘t think it can benefit from further ageing
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5/19/2018 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Drank over 2 hours. This is a gorgeous wine.
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4/21/2018 - Dionysos 1920 wrote: 92 Points
La bouteille est restée une année et demi légèrement entamée (2 verres soutirés avec Coravin). Pas oxydée mais plus tannique du tout. Fruité mais manque de complexité. Agréable mais ne vaut assurément pas les 96 pts de Parker.
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12/31/2017 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing. Wish I had more. Don’t wait. Drink now
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8/27/2017 - Verb Likes this wine: 94 Points
decanted for 1 hr and drank for 2 hrs - dark purple with no hint of oxidation - intense voluptuous nose of blackberry, cassis and leather - big big mouth with beautiful acid tannin balance - still plenty of life left, and would expect further evolution over the next 5-10 years - one of the best malbecs I've had in the last year
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8/22/2017 - Kento61 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I gave this wine a 92 rating back in 2012 and a 95 today in 2017. The well balanced flavors paired extremely well with the chimichurri steak we had for dinner and worked equally well post-dinner as we finished the bottle. With two more bottles in our cellar, I'm looking forward to even better in the years to come.
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7/4/2017 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Holy cow! Amazing and interesting nose of saddle leather,flowers and Asian spice. Unbelievably complex on the palate as it blows you away with beam of rasberry and mineral surrounded by blackberry and spice that goes on and on and reveals more flavours through the finish. It may have more time but I can't imagine it can get better.
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7/2/2017 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was wrong. It did improve in the cellar. Big, rich and bold. Vegans beware - needs a rare steak to be fully appreciated. Ready to drink.
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4/26/2017 - Le Huy wrote:
Light in the nose..complex in palet..cassis..
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3/10/2017 - DrZett Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very complex and opulent. Gets better after a few hours and becomes very smooth. Great Malbec, I like it. Drink now or keep it - this one can be kept for at least 10 more years.
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2/2/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slow ox'ed for 5 hours. Dark garnet with translucent rim. Big on the nose. Surprisingly developed on the palate, dominated by leather and tobacco notes, medium plus body on the mid-palate, not overly sweet, medium (+) finish. 93-94. I liked this a lot and the best Catena Zapata I have had, just not sure if this can last another 10-15 years as it seemed quite developed for such a big wine at age 10. So would drink now if you have a few.
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12/24/2016 - Dionysos 1920 wrote: 92 Points
Testée avec Coravin, très jeune, dur, ni excessivement complexe, ni excessivement fruitée, mise de côté pour l’ouvrir dans quelques temps
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11/25/2016 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I did a Coravin sample initially to demonstrate the device to my son-in-law and that first sip was tannic so I splash decanted this which helped to soften the edges. A very well crafted wine with earthy old world style notes but only had a small glass as our family assembled for appetizers.
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7/23/2016 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Opulent. Great complexity. Opened for one hour drank over two hours. Kept getting better.
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6/19/2016 - Al-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Jay Miller has always over-rated wines and this is no exception. I am hoping this improves with further cellaring...but I doubt it.
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6/16/2015 - ewasowicz wrote: 94 Points
Nose: jam and caramel a very nice and lasting nose
Taste: blackberries, caramel. A lot like a good shiraz
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5/11/2015 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
My fifth bottle of this vintage and seems just to be entering its drinking window. Very pure fruit and luxurious oak. Perfect balance and no disturbing sweetness. Give it 3-4 days for the fruit and oak to settle.
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4/15/2015 - kbcadeponei wrote: 95 Points
Escaping the fruitful, mellow aspect of the variety, to deliver a robust and overwhelming malbec, bringing elements of complexity and harmony found only on some of the best blends. Blackberry, plums, vanilla, all sort of spices, nutmeg, lemon leaf, smoke and gentler notes such as flowers and cinnamon. Huge tannins. Still quite harsh, but its flavors are undeniable, so physical, full and intense. Perfectly balanced. Already showing a very long finish, spiced and involving. Let it breathe for at least four hours before you take a sip on this unique malbec. 95+
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12/23/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Drinking beautiful with rich expansive dark fruit, spice, med-low acidity and a long finish. Great showing with Cassoulet. Should be even better in a few years.
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10/18/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
2014 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/14/2014-10/21/2014 (New York City, NY): Ripe bramble fruits, walnuts, pink peppercorns and anise characterize the aromas and flavors of this opaque crimson wine. Massively extracted, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with heavyweight yet supple tannins, it remains rich through the middle palate and closes long. This bruiser screams for a nice, juicy steak! Despite its weight and extraction, it is already drinking well and should be at its best over the next decade. Drink now-2024.
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5/24/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fruit has mellowed out. Took a while to open up. Reticent at first. Tannins have softened. Nice (but lower) acid. Little muted. Shut down ? After an hour started to open up nicely and become more expressive.
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5/24/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very dark red with some purple added. Dark fruit on the nose. This did need two to three hours to open up. This just kept getting better as the night went on. The primary fruit flavors have matured and this has gained in complexity over the last two years. This shows that well made Malbec does benefit from aging. This had multiple alters of fruit that is drinking very well now.
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5/10/2014 - ewasowicz wrote: 94 Points
The first one I opened 18 months ago and had it open for 4 hours. It was awful. It just wouldn't open.
18 months later I tried again and this time it was much MUCH better after aeration and time left open.
Nose: dark fruit, chocolate,
Taste: licorice, wood, blackberry
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1/25/2014 - lator wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes. 89-90 points.
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12/30/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours. These have closed down since release. Started to open up but really needs at least 2 more years. Primarily red fruited complemented by boysenberries, bittersweet cocoa and some rocky minerality. The elevation of the vineyard is obvious as this shows a lot cooler character than some of the other single vineyard bottlings. Well-made and I'm looking forward to seeing where my other bottles go in time. 92+
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11/22/2013 - aslan-m Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely stunning after a four hour decant.
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8/14/2013 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Just not in a very good phase right now.
Sure, a good wine, excellent fruit, but far from as spectacular as I remember it.
Day 4 the fruit is really nice, upgrade to 92, but the ending is a bit thin.
Wait 3-5 years, is my bet.
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6/21/2013 - Sundbyberg wrote: 89 Points
Two double decants. This has lost most of it's beautiful fruit. Should not have decanted.
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2/16/2013 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
I preferred this younger.
Very fruitforward, very new-world like. Close to perfection and therefore also a bit boring.
Two double decants and then 1 hr traditional decant.
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12/28/2012 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double Decanted 2hrs. Tight initially, very pure aromas of black and boysenberry with some cocoa and smoke. Concentrated, fresh and clean. Medium to Full-bodied with very little weight on the palate. No heat. Very long lightly spiced fruit filled finish. Notable polished tannins. Plenty of structure to age 5+ yrs, but enjoyable now with a minimum 2-3hr decant. The single vineyard Catena's are some of the best made malbecs you'll find.
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12/20/2012 - Flamengo wrote: 94 Points
This is a flagship winery from argentina. And malbec Adrianna is a single vineyard piece of a great terrunyo or terroir. Dark purple, almost black colour. Very clear and a little less dark at the edges.
Nose is very impressive with lots of licorice, spices, chocolate, red fruits, mainly cherry and plum. On the palate, is full bodied, with still some harsh tannins to resolve, but has great potential! After one hour decanting it has softened a lot and was already pleasing and drinkable. Long aftertaste almost 45 seconds. Good acidity and freshness. I think this wine is not ready yet and people should wait at least 3/5 more years to start thinking about opening it. Thats what i will do with my next bottle. But, if opened now, its mandatory to decante/aerate for at least 1,5/2 hours.
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4/10/2012 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
A very special wine with enormous concentration, unlike any other wine I have tasted.
The fruit is obviously there but it is not too much and it is elegant and very smooth. The wine is very long (> 30 seconds) and it fills the mouth completely.
Quite an improvement day two.
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9/5/2011 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Deep black with red rim. Nose packed with plums, black cherry, caramelized nuts, gravel, dusty wood and slightly hint of violets.
On the palate the wine is bursting with dark blueberry fruit graciously paired with tannins and minerality. Outstanding Malbec
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3/26/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 93 Points
Small tasting note from a Store tasting of the majority of Catena's current lineup.
Dark purple to black in color.
This wine was decanted for about 2 1/2 hours according to the rep and it was still tight, but more open than the Nicassa.
The nose showed black fruit, a little blueberry coming through, vanilla, minerality, and oak tones.
The palate was similar with mixed black berries, a little boysenberry, a little graphite, some vanilla, and tannin.
Really nice mouthfeel and felt this was suprisingly open.
Hold for at least 5 years based on todays showing.
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