My prior note generally applies. Differences being: Grilled meat has been replaced by chocolate, and there is a soft floral note now.
The bitter astringency softens nicely after a good 1 hour decant and the flavors gain strength and clarity.
Day 2 Sadly the lovely flavors have died down a little and the bitterness has returned. Not much structure left either. Still serviceable with food. 3 points lost.
Day 3 Bitterness is gone. Flavors, though still diminished, are more evident for lack of said bitterness. Point added.
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Good and varietal correct, but rather generic and unspectacular. Drank at a party. Not something I would seek out given there are far better alternatives.
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From 75cl, cork not seen. P+P in a restaurant in Antwerp at the ridiculous price of 49€. As previously recorded on 02.02.2022: full bodied rustic Malbec, now gradually entering early retirement. Drink up or avoid. 87-88P
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Qantas Business Class - Ground & Air; 10/3/2023-10/6/2023 (Sydney, Antique aircraft, Bangkok): {screwcap, 12%} Raw and vibrant. Rustic and semi-sweet nose of ribena-cordial, but little oak. The palate is inkily alcoholic with blackberry fruit – milder than the nose threatened. Almost no detectable tannin and the acidity is quite low too. It’s medium weight, very much on the front-palate and finishes short/medium in length. A hearty style of wine for vigorous quaffing. (Emirates Business Lounge Bangkok International)
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One of the best bang for your $20 buck out there. Mellow fruit aroma with a semi-velvety dry finish. Easy to drink. Holding another 2019 for a few more years to see how it changes
Deep purple in color. Plums and a hint of bell pepper on the nose. Medium bodied, smooth tannins, good acidity. Tastes like cherries. Great with a steak
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It throws wide-stanced legs, and presents a darkly vibrant purplish red in the glass. It took 30 minutes of decanting to open up enough for me to give it a preliminary review. Aromas of fruit of the woods, barnyard, and saline petrichor greet the nose. Blue and bramble berries start the palate off. There is spice, sage, grilled meat, and a smattering of black pepper mid palate on. It ends with a mildly astringent bitterness lightly ensconced in very fine tannins. Medium+ body. It may need more time to fully blossom, but I am enjoying this right now as is.
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90/91. A bit sweet. Has aromas of plums, coffee, schist, mint, and cranberries. Its plush medium bodied nicely oaked juicy blue and red fruits has excellent depth and length and ends with nice grippy tannin. 13.5%. Needs 90 mins/2hrs+aeration. Drink now or lay down 2-5 years.
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Colour: red with just a hint of purple. Nose: red plum, dark fruits like cassis and a little bit of violet flower. Taste: reasonably acidic and medium tannins. Bitter overripe plum, dirt, tart guelder-rose berry. Bitterness on the end with dry herb and plum pit. 7/18
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The perfect pop and pour to accompany a host of steaks. Vanilla, ripe fruit, integrated tannins, plum & currant. Almost sweet and yet very elegant. 13.5% abv. Huge QPR. Perhaps not the oenophile’s go-to but the perfect wine to host a large table of various colleagues whose palate and experience run the gamut
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Similar to my last note, a beautiful and super-reliable wine that shows both richness and freshness, easy to love and not without complexity.
A mix of black and red fruit this time, surprisingly high-toned plum and black cherry with baking spices, maybe a bit of sage and lavender, and a really interesting, subtle kind of sanguine note, almost like red meat, which I've found in previous vintages too. Really excellent energy here with well-integrated acidity lifting up the palate, and leaving plenty of room for that spiced rich fruit inherent in good Malbec, with lots of blackberry, plum, and something between vanilla and cinnamon on the finish. The oak is there but the fruit definitely takes center stage, and the tannins are nicely structured and beautifully soft.
It was even more expressive and engaging than last time I tried it, so I've bumped my score to 94. Insane value at $15, still really great for $20. For entry level malbec, nearly impossible to beat.
Simple, pleasant table wine. Smooth and food friendly, made for drinking now. Ruby-colored, low acidity, short clean finish. Effective use of new oak to add structure and pleasant vanilla notes over a jammy blackberry fruit base. Sweeter fruit than most malbecs.
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Open and drink. It's drinking well now, but likely won't age well. Enjoy it while you can! Dark fruit, perhaps a hint of tobacco, vanilla. A fun light pour, not very complicated.
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A great Malbec for the price. Big fruit on the nose; round and jammy on the pallete with a little bit of tannin for the backbone. Bold yet smooth. Very enjoyable with tacos al pastor!
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Good entry-level Malbec. Surprising amount of vanilla and cinnamon (I.e. new oak) on a relatively inexpensive wine. Mix of red (raspberry) and black (blackberry) fruit. Medium tannin and acidity (more oak tannin than fruit tannins). After a bit of air the oak incorporated a bit and the wine actually improved, so a short decant wouldn’t hurt here.
Solid intro to a great producer’s wine.
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This wine delivers year in and year out. Bright, layered, and full bodied, with inviting notes of black and blue fruit, currants, pastry crust, and a whiff of plum. It shows fine structure and presence, with wonderful baking spice complexity. Always a pleasure.
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Picked this up from Costco for $15 as a weekday wine. Toasted to Argentina and thoroughly enjoyed this Malbec. Dark fruits with some essence of tobacco; fruity but not jammy which was appreciated. Would pick a few more of these up at the price.
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Deep ruby in color. Nose of dark chocolate, blackberry, and vanilla scented pipe tobacco. On the palate, caramelized blackberries with hints of cola. Full bodied with medium tannins and medium/short finish. In fact, the only shortcoming of this wine is that the fantastic flavors don’t linger longer.
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This is one of those wines that I seriously do not understand what the fuss is about. Ok its not faulty, but apart from that... Like many mass market red wines I get an impression of toilet spray of sweet flowers and fruits, not in a good way. Maybe some additive? Fortunately I am making pasta sauce. Not going to the trouble to describe in full.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, cranberry and plum. It tastes like black pepper, petrol, blackberry and prune. The body is full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Mellows out over decant time, recommend 60 mins.
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Great everyday Malbec on the sweeter side. Not overly complex but well worth the roughly $15 it costs. Jammy with dark fruits taking center stage. Plum, vanilla, dried raspberries. Dark purple color. Perfect with spicy quesadillas.
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13.5% alcohol; cork top, medium-dark red, nose of alcohol, cherries, rhubarb; full bodied, good mouthfeel; I taste gooseberries, rhubarb, cherries; nice balance, long finish; tasted at David's Steak House, on the Carnival Pride, Baltic Sea, between Germany and Estonia
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Served (30 min decant) with Lasagna and Cole Slaw.
Clear deep purplish red in the glass. Blackberry on the nose, carrying over to the palate with Plum. Nice, smooth, well-rounded feel in the mouth. Moderate tannins. Ample acidity for pleasant, lingering finish.
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Bright purple, heady nose, entry is sweetish lush fruit over vanilla, then the magnesium acid bites, blueberry, coffee, +++ with mildly woody finish. Many impressions available but not an integrated tasting experience por otra lado bring on the spicy barbeque.
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Pleasing aromas of red plum and raspberry along with plenty of spicy to sawdusty oak. Sweet fruited entry, the spices pervade the palate and the tannins are oak-derived with lots of intense spicy elements. Whilst the red fruits fill out the core, I find the sawdust and oak chips elements a little too much. Despite this, it is soft and juicy with some warm glycerol notes and relatively full-bodied. It would be nice to have more fruit tannin and more mid-palate depth.
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Have had the pleasure to drink this wine multiple times. I did encounter what I would describe as some off odors but blew off with time in the glass. High altitude Malbec seems to age fabulously especially with the tannins that soften out with time. Surprisingly sort of one demensional but I find this wine very enjoyable. Dark fruit aromas on the nose with some cassis and baking spice. More of the same with the flavor profile. Pretty good finish too. Great intro Malbec from Argentina.
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Year after year this is just reeeeeeeally solid wine, an excellent balance of forward richness and a dialed-back, controlled expression. This vintage felt a little closed/austere compared to the last couple, but made up for it with an even greater sense of elegance.
On the nose, quiet but really beautiful purple/black fruits and baking spices- blackberry pie, plum preserves (NOT jammy, just concentrated), allspice, etc. Missing some of the meaty, nearly bloody notes of past vintages, but it doesn't need them to feel complete. In general the fruit was darker and richer than the '18, I think, even if it less expressive.
Plenty of surprising freshness on the palate, thanks to those high-elevstion grapes. Cool black fruit, some subtle minerality, gentle but present structure, persistent medium acidity- no it's not an acid-driven wine, but I wouldn't call it a fruit bomb or goofy style whatsoever. Much more calm and collected without feeling overly austere. For $15 at Costco, it's killer. $20 at other grocers isn't as much of a done deal, but still worth the price.
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Not as smooth as I would like for AR MB. Texture is a bit gritty, a bit powdery. Fruit is nice, but not abundant; would have liked more. Nothing really wrong with it.
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Value Mendoza Malbec 2019 Bodega Catena Zapata High Mountain Vines ($15 Costco). Similar to previous notes. Mid-garnet, viscous (13.5 alc.); red fruit, berries, peppery and wood nose; mid-body, acids, tannins; good flavor; long semi-tight berry finish. w/pasta. 15.5-16 UC Davis scale, 89-90 other scales.
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We opened this bottle to complete a comparison with another Malbec. The Catena performed well having both a more interesting nose and more body and taste in the mouth.
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Poured into a decanter. Really dark ruby in color. On the nose Blueberry, leather, oak and a slight hint of vanilla. On the palate dark cherries and blueberries. Really nice chewy tannins and good acidity. Nice long finish.
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91/92. Has fragrant aromas of plums, menthol, blueberries, chalky schisty hints and coffee tones. Its medium bodied a bit linear and plush decently oaked chewy blue and red fruits palate has got nice depth+freshness. Ends longish, fresh and tapering. 13.5%. Lay down 5 years+. Good value at 15 Euros. This cuvee has been on the up. The 2018 was better than usual.
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Deep ruby color. Aromas of cooked ripe cherries, red currant, oak, leather, and a mildly astringent bread note. Dry, high tannins, medium acid, full body, and medium long finish. Flavors of bitter wood, dark cherries, strawberry juice, and tobacco.
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From 75cl, DIAM5 closure, opened but not decanted 1 hour. Fine robust Malbec, good quality and maturity, and the best quaffing wine available this morning at a radically destocked Waitrose in Oxford… Brexit blues? Dark blue fruit, quite rich, well-managed tannins, altogether a class act and fine value for under 14 GBP. 88-89P
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Drank over past few days, along with a 2001 version. Dark purple color. Medium to big-bodied wine. Black and blue fruit here, and plenty of it--ripe and on the sweet side. They clearly like to oak their product down at Catena, and his bottle clearly demonstrates this practice--unfortunately. Too oaky and sweet for my taste. I preferred the 2001, which was more old world in style and more true to its terroir. Surprised that it's only 13.5% alcohol as it tastes hotter.
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first two days this had a very hard if not astringent finish. less so on day 2. used repour all days. day 3 was much better with better smoothness and balance. this might be a wine that needs hours of airing to be best on day 1. one to buy again, perhaps even to store a few years....
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Far more old world than the rather jammy " Las Acequias" Malbec Oak. On nose:dense, wiry notes of Bramble and plums. On palate: above flavour notes enhanced , with notes of bread dough, faint cinnamon , firm , but pliable tannins, and sleek acidity....and this is the entry level Catena! A great food wine with aging potential....have seen favourable notes on the 2005 and 1997 of this particular wine...a 2 hour decant for best results ...good value in Vancouver at $24.00 a bottle.
Mendoza, 2019 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec High Mountain Vines, $15. Dark garnet; black fruit, berries, pepper, hyacinth nose; mid-acids/tannins; medium body; good Malbec fruit; long balanced (13.5 alc.) varietal finish. w/picnic and party fare. 15.5 UC Davis scale, 89 other scales.
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3/23/2024 - Orian1701 wrote: 84 Points
Deep inky garnet
Black raspberry, smoke, licorice, barnyard, aged cheese
Blueberry, blackberry, oak, graphite.
A bit flat and hollow on the pallet. Will re assess after decanting. Improved but still lacking.
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3/3/2024 - Bchawla wrote:
Good wine
92 pts
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2/24/2024 - Wine Gent Likes this wine: 89 Points
Always reliable:
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2/23/2024 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Buy, drink…and rebuy and drink,
This isn’t complicated.
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2/15/2024 - Dozhdbog Likes this wine: 88 Points
My prior note generally applies. Differences being: Grilled meat has been replaced by chocolate, and there is a soft floral note now.
The bitter astringency softens nicely after a good 1 hour decant and the flavors gain strength and clarity.
Day 2
Sadly the lovely flavors have died down a little and the bitterness has returned. Not much structure left either. Still serviceable with food. 3 points lost.
Day 3
Bitterness is gone. Flavors, though still diminished, are more evident for lack of said bitterness. Point added.
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1/16/2024 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
2nd bottle…Evolving nicely,
Straight forward example, more supple/approachable a year and a half later.
Super QPR.
Drink now with air thru 2027
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12/12/2023 - wmccone54 wrote: 87 Points
Good and varietal correct, but rather generic and unspectacular. Drank at a party. Not something I would seek out given there are far better alternatives.
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12/10/2023 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, cork not seen. P+P in a restaurant in Antwerp at the ridiculous price of 49€. As previously recorded on 02.02.2022: full bodied rustic Malbec, now gradually entering early retirement. Drink up or avoid. 87-88P
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11/23/2023 - GoliathOnline Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better than expected for a grocery store malbec. Honest and simple, perfect pairing for Korean BBQ.
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11/23/2023 - Cote d'Or wrote:
-dark purple
-stony ripe black fruit spice
-med/med- acidity, med+ weight simple black fruit medicinal heat, med sweet tannins
-big
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10/6/2023 - graemeg wrote:
Qantas Business Class - Ground & Air; 10/3/2023-10/6/2023 (Sydney, Antique aircraft, Bangkok): {screwcap, 12%} Raw and vibrant. Rustic and semi-sweet nose of ribena-cordial, but little oak. The palate is inkily alcoholic with blackberry fruit – milder than the nose threatened. Almost no detectable tannin and the acidity is quite low too. It’s medium weight, very much on the front-palate and finishes short/medium in length. A hearty style of wine for vigorous quaffing. (Emirates Business Lounge Bangkok International)
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7/21/2023 - angelsil@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is a big boy. We decanted it an hour+ and it still had lots of chewy tannins. Dark fruits, plum, some licorice almost.
For pairing, I'd look at red meat and hearty dishes.
Good QPR.
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7/17/2023 - Winevious wrote: 92 Points
One of the best bang for your $20 buck out there. Mellow fruit aroma with a semi-velvety dry finish. Easy to drink. Holding another 2019 for a few more years to see how it changes
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6/24/2023 - WineNerd76 Likes this wine: 84 Points
Deep purple in color. Plums and a hint of bell pepper on the nose. Medium bodied, smooth tannins, good acidity. Tastes like cherries. Great with a steak
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5/27/2023 - Dozhdbog Likes this wine: 90 Points
It throws wide-stanced legs, and presents a darkly vibrant purplish red in the glass.
It took 30 minutes of decanting to open up enough for me to give it a preliminary review.
Aromas of fruit of the woods, barnyard, and saline petrichor greet the nose. Blue and bramble berries start the palate off. There is spice, sage, grilled meat, and a smattering of black pepper mid palate on. It ends with a mildly astringent bitterness lightly ensconced in very fine tannins. Medium+ body.
It may need more time to fully blossom, but I am enjoying this right now as is.
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5/5/2023 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fine wine night with the boys. Very dark garnet. This is big and ripe, with damson and berry nose. Full bodied, rich, spicy, plummy. Good.
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4/19/2023 - macaujames wrote: 90 Points
90/91. A bit sweet. Has aromas of plums, coffee, schist, mint, and cranberries. Its plush medium bodied nicely oaked juicy blue and red fruits has excellent depth and length and ends with nice grippy tannin.
13.5%. Needs 90 mins/2hrs+aeration. Drink now or lay down 2-5 years.
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4/16/2023 - AD_jutant wrote: 83 Points
Colour: red with just a hint of purple.
Nose: red plum, dark fruits like cassis and a little bit of violet flower.
Taste: reasonably acidic and medium tannins. Bitter overripe plum, dirt, tart guelder-rose berry. Bitterness on the end with dry herb and plum pit.
7/18
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4/12/2023 - El_Dougo Likes this wine: 89 Points
The perfect pop and pour to accompany a host of steaks. Vanilla, ripe fruit, integrated tannins, plum & currant. Almost sweet and yet very elegant. 13.5% abv. Huge QPR. Perhaps not the oenophile’s go-to but the perfect wine to host a large table of various colleagues whose palate and experience run the gamut
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4/11/2023 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to my last note, a beautiful and super-reliable wine that shows both richness and freshness, easy to love and not without complexity.
A mix of black and red fruit this time, surprisingly high-toned plum and black cherry with baking spices, maybe a bit of sage and lavender, and a really interesting, subtle kind of sanguine note, almost like red meat, which I've found in previous vintages too. Really excellent energy here with well-integrated acidity lifting up the palate, and leaving plenty of room for that spiced rich fruit inherent in good Malbec, with lots of blackberry, plum, and something between vanilla and cinnamon on the finish. The oak is there but the fruit definitely takes center stage, and the tannins are nicely structured and beautifully soft.
It was even more expressive and engaging than last time I tried it, so I've bumped my score to 94. Insane value at $15, still really great for $20. For entry level malbec, nearly impossible to beat.
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3/23/2023 - Delund Likes this wine: 88 Points
Simple, pleasant table wine. Smooth and food friendly, made for drinking now. Ruby-colored, low acidity, short clean finish. Effective use of new oak to add structure and pleasant vanilla notes over a jammy blackberry fruit base. Sweeter fruit than most malbecs.
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3/8/2023 - curtex Likes this wine: 85 Points
Not much subtlety here, straightforward jamminess without too much sweetness. Decent acid, minimal tannin.
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2/25/2023 - IronChefCardio Likes this wine: 90 Points
Open and drink. It's drinking well now, but likely won't age well. Enjoy it while you can! Dark fruit, perhaps a hint of tobacco, vanilla. A fun light pour, not very complicated.
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2/21/2023 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour. Jammy red fruit, char, vanilla. On the palate: charred meat, jammy blackberry, solid density, ok acidity, grainy tannic finish.
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2/8/2023 - M.A.Wyatt Likes this wine: 88 Points
A great Malbec for the price. Big fruit on the nose; round and jammy on the pallete with a little bit of tannin for the backbone. Bold yet smooth. Very enjoyable with tacos al pastor!
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1/28/2023 - MikeDB wrote: 88 Points
Good entry-level Malbec. Surprising amount of vanilla and cinnamon (I.e. new oak) on a relatively inexpensive wine. Mix of red (raspberry) and black (blackberry) fruit. Medium tannin and acidity (more oak tannin than fruit tannins). After a bit of air the oak incorporated a bit and the wine actually improved, so a short decant wouldn’t hurt here.
Solid intro to a great producer’s wine.
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1/28/2023 - Jagidoc Likes this wine:
Very pleasant
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1/18/2023 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
This wine delivers year in and year out. Bright, layered, and full bodied, with inviting notes of black and blue fruit, currants, pastry crust, and a whiff of plum. It shows fine structure and presence, with wonderful baking spice complexity. Always a pleasure.
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12/18/2022 - Ello_mehry wrote: 90 Points
Picked this up from Costco for $15 as a weekday wine. Toasted to Argentina and thoroughly enjoyed this Malbec. Dark fruits with some essence of tobacco; fruity but not jammy which was appreciated. Would pick a few more of these up at the price.
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12/6/2022 - rufiojeff07@gmail.com Likes this wine:
Nose: Lead pencil, campfire, blueberry, vanilla, apple pie
Palate: silky smooth, bitter grape (somewhat disappointing)
Finish: mild tannins
3rd day: really fell off. Sour, bit peppery and woodsy
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12/3/2022 - Brain Game Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby in color. Nose of dark chocolate, blackberry, and vanilla scented pipe tobacco. On the palate, caramelized blackberries with hints of cola. Full bodied with medium tannins and medium/short finish. In fact, the only shortcoming of this wine is that the fantastic flavors don’t linger longer.
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11/15/2022 - zabah wrote: 88 Points
Good, dark fruit flavors. Pastry crust. Coffee. Subtle in its structure. Nice mouthfeel, smooth tannins.
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11/12/2022 - Sam Adam Does not like this wine: 82 Points
This is one of those wines that I seriously do not understand what the fuss is about. Ok its not faulty, but apart from that... Like many mass market red wines I get an impression of toilet spray of sweet flowers and fruits, not in a good way. Maybe some additive? Fortunately I am making pasta sauce. Not going to the trouble to describe in full.
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10/9/2022 - Proctor.562 wrote: 90 Points
I like this. 4.6 out of 5n
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9/29/2022 - Matteo1 wrote:
Confectionery with over the top fake oak aromas. Really odd on the nose and palate. Reminds why wine labels need an ingredient list.
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9/21/2022 - danseng wrote: 92 Points
For $16 this is fantastic. Black fruits, good acid and tannins. Not your typical fruit bomb you can get at this price point.
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9/15/2022 - Decanthor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Echo the reviews below me. So good for the price. Loved it.
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9/11/2022 - Sid G Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nicely balanced Malbec. Good body, moderate acid, black cherry fruit, a nice clean finish. Affordably priced.
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9/11/2022 - Dennisraines Likes this wine: 85 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, cranberry and plum. It tastes like black pepper, petrol, blackberry and prune. The body is full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Mellows out over decant time, recommend 60 mins.
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9/6/2022 - NoahMax wrote: 85 Points
Medium/full body. Deep purple in the glass. Fruit forward on the nose with tons of oak on the palate. Harsh at opening; may benefit from decanting.
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8/31/2022 - Jpg0 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great everyday Malbec on the sweeter side. Not overly complex but well worth the roughly $15 it costs. Jammy with dark fruits taking center stage. Plum, vanilla, dried raspberries. Dark purple color. Perfect with spicy quesadillas.
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8/25/2022 - Glenn Gilbert Likes this wine: 90 Points
13.5% alcohol; cork top, medium-dark red, nose of alcohol, cherries, rhubarb; full bodied, good mouthfeel; I taste gooseberries, rhubarb, cherries; nice balance, long finish; tasted at David's Steak House, on the Carnival Pride, Baltic Sea, between Germany and Estonia
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8/18/2022 - red freddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Repurchase (new vintage) @ Costco
13.5% abv - $14
Served (30 min decant) with Lasagna and Cole Slaw.
Clear deep purplish red in the glass. Blackberry on the nose, carrying over to the palate with Plum. Nice, smooth, well-rounded feel in the mouth. Moderate tannins. Ample acidity for pleasant, lingering finish.
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8/3/2022 - xyc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright purple, heady nose, entry is sweetish lush fruit over vanilla, then the magnesium acid bites, blueberry, coffee, +++ with mildly woody finish. Many impressions available but not an integrated tasting experience por otra lado bring on the spicy barbeque.
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8/1/2022 - GAT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wish I had more of this extraordinarily black wine.
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7/28/2022 - rikipedia wrote: 87 Points
Pleasing aromas of red plum and raspberry along with plenty of spicy to sawdusty oak.
Sweet fruited entry, the spices pervade the palate and the tannins are oak-derived with lots of intense spicy elements. Whilst the red fruits fill out the core, I find the sawdust and oak chips elements a little too much. Despite this, it is soft and juicy with some warm glycerol notes and relatively full-bodied. It would be nice to have more fruit tannin and more mid-palate depth.
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7/13/2022 - peeno wrote: 87 Points
Atypical Malbec that is on the sweeter side.
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6/28/2022 - Wine is Red Likes this wine: 89 Points
Have had the pleasure to drink this wine multiple times. I did encounter what I would describe as some off odors but blew off with time in the glass. High altitude Malbec seems to age fabulously especially with the tannins that soften out with time. Surprisingly sort of one demensional but I find this wine very enjoyable. Dark fruit aromas on the nose with some cassis and baking spice. More of the same with the flavor profile. Pretty good finish too. Great intro Malbec from Argentina.
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6/17/2022 - rickycambier wrote: 87 Points
87
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5/12/2022 - sunfun8491@gmail.com wrote:
Took to San Destin for Anniversary
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5/5/2022 - Julian Sims Likes this wine: 84 Points
Good full and rich Malbec
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4/27/2022 - backto1983 Likes this wine: 84 Points
Malbec trumps all other types of grapes.
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4/27/2022 - GAT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent example of the Argentine style.
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4/22/2022 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Year after year this is just reeeeeeeally solid wine, an excellent balance of forward richness and a dialed-back, controlled expression. This vintage felt a little closed/austere compared to the last couple, but made up for it with an even greater sense of elegance.
On the nose, quiet but really beautiful purple/black fruits and baking spices- blackberry pie, plum preserves (NOT jammy, just concentrated), allspice, etc. Missing some of the meaty, nearly bloody notes of past vintages, but it doesn't need them to feel complete. In general the fruit was darker and richer than the '18, I think, even if it less expressive.
Plenty of surprising freshness on the palate, thanks to those high-elevstion grapes. Cool black fruit, some subtle minerality, gentle but present structure, persistent medium acidity- no it's not an acid-driven wine, but I wouldn't call it a fruit bomb or goofy style whatsoever. Much more calm and collected without feeling overly austere. For $15 at Costco, it's killer. $20 at other grocers isn't as much of a done deal, but still worth the price.
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4/16/2022 - Clurcott Does not like this wine:
Not great, almost tasted like going vinegar
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4/12/2022 - yuhyma@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very drinkable Malbec, love the smell and taste. Blueberry and cassis and cinnamon on the nose. Very good price too. Will buy more.
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4/9/2022 - denisontb Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank every night in Flamingo Costa Rica, and it was delicious. A true go to wine
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3/24/2022 - InterroVino wrote: 91 Points
Not as smooth as I would like for AR MB. Texture is a bit gritty, a bit powdery. Fruit is nice, but not abundant; would have liked more. Nothing really wrong with it.
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3/16/2022 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 89 Points
Value Mendoza Malbec 2019 Bodega Catena Zapata High Mountain Vines ($15 Costco). Similar to previous notes. Mid-garnet, viscous (13.5 alc.); red fruit, berries, peppery and wood nose; mid-body, acids, tannins; good flavor; long semi-tight berry finish. w/pasta. 15.5-16 UC Davis scale, 89-90 other scales.
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3/5/2022 - autumn_child Likes this wine: 88 Points
Coffee and dark fruits that opened up to become vanilla, chocolate and blueberry.
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3/5/2022 - Wineson Likes this wine: 90 Points
We opened this bottle to complete a comparison with another Malbec. The Catena performed well having both a more interesting nose and more body and taste in the mouth.
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2/25/2022 - wino121 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for a couple hours.
Solid weekly drinker,
Rebuy
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2/18/2022 - GAT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very happy with a great food wine.
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2/16/2022 - ktnjr wrote: 89 Points
Poured into a decanter. Really dark ruby in color.
On the nose Blueberry, leather, oak and a slight hint of vanilla.
On the palate dark cherries and blueberries. Really nice chewy tannins and good acidity. Nice long finish.
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2/11/2022 - macaujames Likes this wine: 91 Points
91/92. Has fragrant aromas of plums, menthol, blueberries, chalky schisty hints and coffee tones. Its medium bodied a bit linear and plush decently oaked chewy blue and red fruits palate has got nice depth+freshness. Ends longish, fresh and tapering. 13.5%. Lay down 5 years+. Good value at 15 Euros. This cuvee has been on the up. The 2018 was better than usual.
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1/24/2022 - Joerg65 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice Malbec, however should improve over time.
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1/20/2022 - mahmudn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Aromas of cooked ripe cherries, red currant, oak, leather, and a mildly astringent bread note. Dry, high tannins, medium acid, full body, and medium long finish. Flavors of bitter wood, dark cherries, strawberry juice, and tobacco.
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1/11/2022 - GAT Likes this wine: 88 Points
Should continue to improve.
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1/2/2022 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, DIAM5 closure, opened but not decanted 1 hour. Fine robust Malbec, good quality and maturity, and the best quaffing wine available this morning at a radically destocked Waitrose in Oxford… Brexit blues? Dark blue fruit, quite rich, well-managed tannins, altogether a class act and fine value for under 14 GBP. 88-89P
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11/29/2021 - daveyk39 wrote: 88 Points
Malbec from high altitude vines. Offers cherry, plum, leather, coffee and eucalyptus. Lush on the palate, cherry and earthiness across the palate.
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11/28/2021 - cephomer wrote: 89 Points
Drank over past few days, along with a 2001 version. Dark purple color. Medium to big-bodied wine. Black and blue fruit here, and plenty of it--ripe and on the sweet side. They clearly like to oak their product down at Catena, and his bottle clearly demonstrates this practice--unfortunately. Too oaky and sweet for my taste. I preferred the 2001, which was more old world in style and more true to its terroir. Surprised that it's only 13.5% alcohol as it tastes hotter.
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11/22/2021 - pupaes Likes this wine: 88 Points
first two days this had a very hard if not astringent finish. less so on day 2. used repour all days. day 3 was much better with better smoothness and balance. this might be a wine that needs hours of airing to be best on day 1. one to buy again, perhaps even to store a few years....
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11/15/2021 - GAT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great, balanced, black-blue-red wine. Perfectly dry but so much fruit, it makes you wonder. Lovely finish. Five left to spin out somehow?
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11/12/2021 - LopedeAguirre wrote: 86 Points
Too tart. Malbec
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11/2/2021 - Pontifax Likes this wine: 91 Points
Far more old world than the rather jammy " Las Acequias" Malbec Oak.
On nose:dense, wiry notes of Bramble and plums.
On palate: above flavour notes enhanced , with notes of bread dough, faint cinnamon , firm , but pliable tannins, and sleek acidity....and this is the entry level Catena!
A great food wine with aging potential....have seen favourable notes on the 2005 and 1997 of this particular wine...a 2 hour decant for best results ...good value in Vancouver at $24.00 a bottle.
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9/3/2021 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mendoza, 2019 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec High Mountain Vines, $15. Dark garnet; black fruit, berries, pepper, hyacinth nose; mid-acids/tannins; medium body; good Malbec fruit; long balanced (13.5 alc.) varietal finish. w/picnic and party fare. 15.5 UC Davis scale, 89 other scales.
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4/4/2021 - flavorsailor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Berries and earthy smoke. Delicious. Full body feel.
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