Decanted for 45 minutes. Fully mature. Drinking beautifully. Earth scents such as mushrooms and forest floor dominate the aroma, with layered blue fruits and cassis appearing in the taste. The finish is long, with the final taste sensation being a subtle “high note” (from the Malbec?). A great wine!
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Well made and representative of the varietal. Very clean and precise right from the pnp.....stemmy, herbs on the nose but bright red fruit on the palate. Initially the fruit is a tad tart but over 2-3 hours it turns richer and slightly darker. This is actually a very well balanced and put together wine, if you are a malbec fan. If not, then you probably won't agree with the scoring. Malbec is not for everybody, not even myself as I have but only 3-4 bottles in all of my cellar but once you get a hankering for it, especially with burgers and brats on the grill, it fits the occasion. Great grillin' Jimbo!
Black currant, liqourice, smooth and I get some heat as well but that is probably me (hangover). Very concentrated. Has a lot of life ahead of it.
Coming back to it later. Feels more harmonious now. Or is this the alcohole speaking? A well made wine. But maybe not top QPR. Could be later though. 91-92.
3rd wine of the night. This Cabernet Malbec blend is amazing. The Cabernet takes the bright fruits of the Malbec and adds a good amount of complexity. Smooth finish.
Dark ruby red. Upfront impressions of tomato leaf, menthol, bakers yeast, cabbage/capsicum, overall quite vegetal, mean and green, even a bit reductive with some rubbery notes there in the background. A sense of pretty dark, brambly fruit. Dense and mouth-filling, broad palate. Feels like heaps of fruit weight and extraction. Finishes with chewy, slightly bitter tannins. Not super into it.
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Working with wine 2019 seminar 1 - Bordeaux (Est. Restaurant, George Street, Sydney): Aromas of biscuit, toast, blackcurrant, plum, sweet spice, a little herbaceous note offset by a little jubey quality to the fruit. Coffee. IN the mouth it's juicy, fleshy, softly fruit with a yeast extract quality to the tannins which are silky and persistent. Medium plus length. Good
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Medium+ intensity of aromas such as cassis, plum, black pickled cherry, sweaty leather, gravelly-chalky stones, green pepper, olives and herbs Very fine, subtle oaking gives aromas of chocolate and freshly ground coffee.
Dry, medium+ body, medium+ acidity, high (soft) tannins, medium alcohol, long finish (with persistent fruit!).
Intensity of flavour is medium+ with an immense fruit character: plum, black cherry and cassis. There's also coffee and toasted hazelnut.
Wine is very balanced! Fruit is very sexy and fine tuned together with the oak. "Wine is still opening up" (I think I'm refering to aromas in glass after one hour or more).
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A classy wine. Still fairly primary, but the quality is all there. The oak isn’t too dominant and the tannins don’t hide the ripe dark fruits. This is 3-4 years away from being at the start of its peak and has 10 years before I think it will really sing.
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Tight nose, but with a vigorous swirl I get blackberries, graphite and dark cherry on the nose. Very nicely textured in the mouth. Very well structured. This wine needs time and it should improve.
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The 2014 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a simply stunning wine from Catena. It is composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec which was sourced from the high elevation vineyards of La Pirámide, Adrianna and Nicasia and spent 24 months in French oak barrels and an additional 24 months in bottle before release. The wine itself begins with inviting aromatics of blackberries, dark cherries and currents woven together with spring florals, dark chocolate shavings, graphite, herbs and hints crushed stones all taking shape. On the palate this is full-bodied and firmly structured with remarkable overall balance. Concentrated flavors of dark cherries and blackberries continue to layer the palate as it expands beautifully on to the long, persistent finish. This is always an absolutely stunning wine from this estate and there is no exception in this vintage as it should have a brilliant future ahead.
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3/13/2024 - Winer1956 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes. Fully mature. Drinking beautifully. Earth scents such as mushrooms and forest floor dominate the aroma, with layered blue fruits and cassis appearing in the taste. The finish is long, with the final taste sensation being a subtle “high note” (from the Malbec?). A great wine!
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12/11/2023 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
remains in a delicious drinking window
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4/24/2022 - lukemalias@outlook.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
enjoyed with an eye fillet. Thoroughly enjoyable - balanced. My wife said the tannins required the wine to be cellared for a little longer
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5/31/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well made and representative of the varietal. Very clean and precise right from the pnp.....stemmy, herbs on the nose but bright red fruit on the palate. Initially the fruit is a tad tart but over 2-3 hours it turns richer and slightly darker. This is actually a very well balanced and put together wine, if you are a malbec fan. If not, then you probably won't agree with the scoring. Malbec is not for everybody, not even myself as I have but only 3-4 bottles in all of my cellar but once you get a hankering for it, especially with burgers and brats on the grill, it fits the occasion. Great grillin' Jimbo!
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5/27/2021 - MGoldenbear wrote:
Exquisite. Decanted for half hour or so. Absolutely delicious
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5/19/2021 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; cheap vs more expensive (@ RW): Intense and complex bouquet with dark berries and vanilla. Same on the palate, firm acidity and tannin. Good bitterness.
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10/30/2020 - adamanko wrote: 91 Points
Black currant, liqourice, smooth and I get some heat as well but that is probably me (hangover). Very concentrated. Has a lot of life ahead of it.
Coming back to it later. Feels more harmonious now. Or is this the alcohole speaking? A well made wine. But maybe not top QPR. Could be later though. 91-92.
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8/30/2020 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points
3rd wine of the night. This Cabernet Malbec blend is amazing. The Cabernet takes the bright fruits of the Malbec and adds a good amount of complexity. Smooth finish.
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5/1/2019 - Milliontown wrote: 85 Points
Dark ruby red. Upfront impressions of tomato leaf, menthol, bakers yeast, cabbage/capsicum, overall quite vegetal, mean and green, even a bit reductive with some rubbery notes there in the background. A sense of pretty dark, brambly fruit. Dense and mouth-filling, broad palate. Feels like heaps of fruit weight and extraction. Finishes with chewy, slightly bitter tannins. Not super into it.
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4/30/2019 - chatters wrote:
Working with wine 2019 seminar 1 - Bordeaux (Est. Restaurant, George Street, Sydney): Aromas of biscuit, toast, blackcurrant, plum, sweet spice, a little herbaceous note offset by a little jubey quality to the fruit. Coffee. IN the mouth it's juicy, fleshy, softly fruit with a yeast extract quality to the tannins which are silky and persistent. Medium plus length. Good
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3/26/2019 - Green Isaac Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep ruby colour.
Medium+ intensity of aromas such as cassis, plum, black pickled cherry, sweaty leather, gravelly-chalky stones, green pepper, olives and herbs Very fine, subtle oaking gives aromas of chocolate and freshly ground coffee.
Dry, medium+ body, medium+ acidity, high (soft) tannins, medium alcohol, long finish (with persistent fruit!).
Intensity of flavour is medium+ with an immense fruit character: plum, black cherry and cassis. There's also coffee and toasted hazelnut.
Wine is very balanced! Fruit is very sexy and fine tuned together with the oak. "Wine is still opening up" (I think I'm refering to aromas in glass after one hour or more).
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3/16/2019 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 92 Points
A classy wine. Still fairly primary, but the quality is all there. The oak isn’t too dominant and the tannins don’t hide the ripe dark fruits. This is 3-4 years away from being at the start of its peak and has 10 years before I think it will really sing.
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2/15/2019 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Tight nose, but with a vigorous swirl I get blackberries, graphite and dark cherry on the nose. Very nicely textured in the mouth. Very well structured. This wine needs time and it should improve.
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10/17/2018 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 95 Points
The 2014 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a simply stunning wine from Catena. It is composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec which was sourced from the high elevation vineyards of La Pirámide, Adrianna and Nicasia and spent 24 months in French oak barrels and an additional 24 months in bottle before release. The wine itself begins with inviting aromatics of blackberries, dark cherries and currents woven together with spring florals, dark chocolate shavings, graphite, herbs and hints crushed stones all taking shape. On the palate this is full-bodied and firmly structured with remarkable overall balance. Concentrated flavors of dark cherries and blackberries continue to layer the palate as it expands beautifully on to the long, persistent finish. This is always an absolutely stunning wine from this estate and there is no exception in this vintage as it should have a brilliant future ahead.
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