Definitely a great wine. Concentrated black cherry. Some licorice, spice and tobacco, but not so implicit yet. Long finish. My impression it was perhaps a bit early for this one. Even on day two it hadn’t calmed down. But that’s a matter of taste too.
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Absolutely huge. Enormous. I have no idea how to rate it - it's serious and well made. Perhaps flawless at doing it's thing. Not necessarily to my taste but fair play. Mega malbec it is. I have another bottle. I'll give it a few years and see where it goes.
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Been some nice reviews for this lately so thought about opening one on HMC's taco night....decanted about 90 minutes.
Served blind...difficult to tell it was a Malbec....on the nose lots of dark red fruit, with the very slightest bit of sage. No twiggy, green elements to speak of. Dark garnet/purple in the glass. Round, rich blue and dark red fruit on the palate. Excellent weight in the mouth. Consistent throughout. Balanced and smooth, but not spectacular. Solid 93 maybe 94 with more years in bottle but I don't know if it gets any better than that.
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An explosion of blueberry, cherry, vanilla and spice, followed by nice acidity and really smooth tannins. Definitely one of the best Malbecs I’ve had, is it worth the price? I don’t know. There are a lot of very good bottles of wine available for $100
Well, this is a big, primary brute. Black and dark red fruits on the nose and palate. Tobacco leaf. Vanilla. Fairly well structured. Checks all the boxes. Stylistically, it comes off as a cultish Napa wannabe, which isn’t necessarily bad if you like that sort of thing. Tannic, yes, but they’re smooth and sweet, grippy not bludgeoning. Moderate acid. Bittersweet chocolate and Chambord towards the finish.
I PnP’d, and tasted just a couple of minutes after swirling my pour. Drank the bottle over about five hours. Not sure it needs a long decant. Sure, the tannins calmed down a little after some air, but I really didn’t pick up any significant change from first taste to last. I don’t see this getting much better with time, to me it lacks that extra amplitude that suggests it will evolve into something lovelier than what it is today. The structure will allow it to hold for a decade plus, but what you see is what you get. Drink now to 2039.
Medium (+) Acidty Medium (+) Tannins High Alcohol Medium (+) Bodied Long Finish
Medium (+) Intensity - Cassis, Blackberry, Blueberry, Black Cherry, Liquorice, Vanilla, Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Cigar Box
A cocktail of Crème de Cassis and Cherry Heering, ripe and sweet black fruits intermingle with sweet oak and spices, distinct acidity and alcohol, silky smooth tannins, intense yet balanced, with good length. A wine that have a long way to go, will need a 2 - 3 hours of breathing if to be drunk now.
Vera fulll bodied. Smooth tannins, low acidity. Plenty of fruit to the point of being unidimensional. Not really worth what it costs. It’s made up to be a people pleaser, but sophisticated wine drinkers will find much better options at this price point.
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Wow! Massive wine! Very dark, rich and hedonistic. Dark fruits, plum, blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, vanilla, leather, chocolate and some funk (almost barnyard?) Delicious wine, opened up after 1h decant and kept singing for the entire evening after. Had it with some sous-vide bbq seared Picanha.
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Muted nose initially, decanted for 30 mins and opened up beautifully. Deep inky ruby in the glass. Medium+ nose of black currant, black cherry, violet, green bell pepper, black pepper, sweet vanilla, and toast. Notes of orange peel emerged with time. Medium acidity, medium+ soft and grainy tannins, and medium+ fruity but slightly drying finish. Very representative of the varietal with a great sense of place.
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This vibes so hard. I have tears missing Argentina. Dark fruits and stemmy deep core with leather and silk. Dark fruits and an electric spine. Beautiful and correct.
New-world: Guessed this to be either a South American Cab or an Oz Shiraz. Very deep colour, inky black and purple fruit that was rather monolithic. Dense and full-bodied, I dislike such concentration in wines but this will appeal to others.
Tasted blind, I guessed the grape and the area, but not the producer; it started off with a pretty closed nose (it had not been decanted), probably not surprising given the vintage; but it opened up nicely after about an hour. I am not a Malbec drinker and this doesn’t do it for me. But I can tell it’s a quality wine. Worth the price? I am not sure
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Big wine. Good nose with black fruit, bayleaf, cacao. Good palate with ripe black fruit but with enough freshness. Long finish. Best part is the label, beautiful.
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This is the blood of god the colour is such purple it is pure beauty. But what is even more fantastic is its stunning taste it smoothness and beauty in yor mouth. Never have i ever drunk such a beauty in taste smoothness and perfection.
Thanks for creating such a gift for my palatine.
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Opaque dark purple in colour says this is going to be big in body. Somewhat delicate and muted nose, and what is there is earthy and inviting. Supple tannins and mostly balanced acidity, but I think this needs more time to unwind a bit. Dark berries and fruit and pine on the palate. Very nice, but I think it will improve in a couple of years. After 4 hours decanting, it improved greatly.
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Dark ruby tending towards purple. Serious staining of the tears. Magenta rim.
Nose of black fruits (blackberry, plum) and some red fruits (raspberry, cranberry). Plenty of vanilla and oak influence as well. Some herbs and spice in the background too.
Medium tannin and acidity. Very smooth. Wood tannins softened a bit after 1-2 hours of air.
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Fantastic Malbec. To date, best we've had. Decanted for only 30 minutes. We could tell that an hour or two would have been appropriate. Smoked gouda went very well with this. Dinner was Mahi Mahi, macadamia nut crusted, on a shredded baked potato-zucchini-carrot patty, covered with sautéed spinach and a coconut chili sauce over the top.
Decanted for 4 hours and back into the bottle for another 4. The nose was somewhat closed down and quiet still but had notes of lush purple flowers, plum, and cocoa. The palate was a powerhouse of purple fruits but also a ton of oak. Very different oak than I am used to this had tons of dark dark chocolate and coffee grounds on the finish. This needs time and is only approachable with a huge decant or else you are missing out. Sad to drink it so early because I'm sure with a decade or so of age this would be something magical.
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Nose is still very tight but predominantly picking up purple fruit and maybe some rocky tension. Palate is medium body with incredible tension. Acid and tannin are perfectly balanced. The fruit is restrained but perfectly ripe with flowers. The finish is tons of crushed rock minerality, purple flowers, purple fruit.
Love this. There is clearly tons of potential but the wine is so so tight. Even with the extended decant it is nowhere near ready for drinking.
Hold for another 5 years. Probably 93-95 but hard to rate in its current state. Clearly a phenomenal effort.
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2019 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino was complex, intense and well-structured for the long haul. The youthful Mendoza Malbec was clear and deep purple in colour without any noticeable sediments. It required five hours of aeration to open up. Profound aromas of lilac, crushed violet, blackcurrant and blackberry jumped out of the glass. Closely followed were complexities of mocha, tobacco, iodine and grilled mushroom.
The mouthfeel was dry, full-bodied and concentrated, with a medium level of balanced acidity and a high level of chewy tannin. Flavours of crushed flowers, ripe raspberry and preserved black cherry transitioned to toffee, graphite and discreet spices in a long, seamless finish. The 14% alcohol level was well-concealed in the depth of fruits. The empty bottle weighed 938 grams. It is going to evolve into an absolute stunner in a decade. If you cannot wait to taste it, I would recommend decanting the wine in the afternoon, and pair it with a hearty beef stew or grilled eggplant with tomato. Even better, you may sip it on its own to appreciate its endless nuances.
Winemaking information is available on the winery website. The grapes are harvested as whole clusters (20%) and whole berries (80%), which are loaded by hand into French oak barrels for an alcoholic fermentation that lasts twenty eight days. The extended maceration at low temperature allows gentle extraction of tannin and delicate flavours. The wine is raised in French oak barrels for eighteen months. The ambitious wine aims to celebrate the French origin of the Malbec grape, and its rebirth after phylloxera in the high altitude vineyards in Argentina.
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This wine is truly stunning. The bottle is a work of art itself.
Cinnamon, smoke, crushed red berries. Moderately sweet with a tart finish. Exceptionally smooth. Bought a few extra bottles and can’t wait to see what a few years does to this fine Malbec.
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Gave it a 7 hour decant and it was beautiful. Four of us shared the bottle, so it went fast. Other CT notes suggest to give this a long time in the cellar. It was a wow now with a healthy decant.
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Too young too early. Poured 1/4 after bottle breath for 4 hours. Palate was disjointed, nose was firm & tight. Left it for 2 nights on the counter in the bottle. Surprisingly so much better and so enjoyable to drink. Black fruits, red fruit, tobacco leaves, oak & cacao beans with so much depth and layers
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Catena Zapata Argentino malbec 2019 Pas les meilleurs verres, mais on s’en contentera (mode vacances dans le sud au Finest resort de PuntaCana). Pas pire deal au dutyfree, 92 USD, un produit non-disponible depuis longtemps a la SAQ. Vignes pré phylloxéra centenaires. L’etiquette est une oeuvre en soi et relate histoire du vin en France et Argentine. Robe bien dense. Bouquet sur les bleuets, mures, chêne, bois de santal, girofle. Bouche d’un toucher soyeux, epices, chocolat. Assez ample et superbe longueur. Tres bon et me réconcilie avec les vins amerique du sud.
J’en ai déniché 3 autres fioles au vol de retour. A carafer certainement!
Le Cheval des andes 2017 faisait pâle figure par rapport a celui-ci.
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Wow. This is a great, great wine. Even the label is complex and cool. Dark ruby, pretty mild on the nose considering how powerful the wine is. Rich, fruity, balanced tannines, amazing length. Great with entrecôte. Buy again
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Grapes are sourced from prephyloxeric Massale selection from Angelica vineyard which is over 100 years old and Nicasia vineyard. Wine is aged for 18 months in FR oak. Rich, dense and fragrant aroma of blueberries, violets, blackberries, spices, earth, chocolate hints. Full body, thick, rich and well structured dense attack with seamless transition to more feminine and elegant mid palate. Layered black fruit flavours with chocolate, spice and mineral touches intertwined with well integrated fine tannins.
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The Wine Society webinar, UK, featuring Catena wines and presented online by Dr Laura Catena, great granddaughter of the founder of Catena.
It is impossible to talk about this wine without first mentioning the very impressive label. This depicts four female figures who represent the variety's history in France and its rise in Argentina; ten centuries of life, death and rebirth, if you will. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of malbec. The Immigrant' symbolizes the movement to the New World. 'Phylloxera' personifies the death of malbec. Finally, Adrianna Catena represents Bodega Catena Zapata and the rebirth of malbec in high-altitude plantings in Mendoza, Argentina. (Acknowledgement to The Wine Society and Laura Catena for the description.)
A brilliant label, but it is a shame that the bottle is so environmentally unfriendly with a weight of approx 950g - I understand why they like to use heavy bottles, but we do need to try to save our planet.
The wine is made from grapes from the 920m Angélica vineyard, planted about 1930 in Lunlunta, and the 1095m Nicasia vineyard in La Consulta planted in 1996 with cuttings from the Angélica vineyard. Fermented and then matured in 225-500 litre barrel for 18 months.
So how did we find the wine? The colour is dark blackcurrant and inky. The nose immediately shows class, soft with huge depth. The palate is rich and full, showing spice, velvety and complex. We drank this wine over 3 days, initially with roast beef, then later on its own. It was still developing fully on the third day, so don't rush it. And it must be considered as a food wine rather than just to drink. Overall an excellent wine which I'd like to try again in a couple of years.
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4/28/2024 - Thinkper Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely a great wine. Concentrated black cherry. Some licorice, spice and tobacco, but not so implicit yet. Long finish. My impression it was perhaps a bit early for this one. Even on day two it hadn’t calmed down. But that’s a matter of taste too.
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2/24/2024 - goldenplover wrote:
Absolutely huge. Enormous. I have no idea how to rate it - it's serious and well made. Perhaps flawless at doing it's thing. Not necessarily to my taste but fair play. Mega malbec it is. I have another bottle. I'll give it a few years and see where it goes.
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2/20/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Been some nice reviews for this lately so thought about opening one on HMC's taco night....decanted about 90 minutes.
Served blind...difficult to tell it was a Malbec....on the nose lots of dark red fruit, with the very slightest bit of sage. No twiggy, green elements to speak of. Dark garnet/purple in the glass. Round, rich blue and dark red fruit on the palate. Excellent weight in the mouth. Consistent throughout. Balanced and smooth, but not spectacular. Solid 93 maybe 94 with more years in bottle but I don't know if it gets any better than that.
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2/17/2024 - Mleh Likes this wine: 90 Points
An explosion of blueberry, cherry, vanilla and spice, followed by nice acidity and really smooth tannins. Definitely one of the best Malbecs I’ve had, is it worth the price? I don’t know. There are a lot of very good bottles of wine available for $100
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2/9/2024 - Rex66 wrote: 93 Points
Well, this is a big, primary brute. Black and dark red fruits on the nose and palate. Tobacco leaf. Vanilla. Fairly well structured. Checks all the boxes. Stylistically, it comes off as a cultish Napa wannabe, which isn’t necessarily bad if you like that sort of thing. Tannic, yes, but they’re smooth and sweet, grippy not bludgeoning. Moderate acid. Bittersweet chocolate and Chambord towards the finish.
I PnP’d, and tasted just a couple of minutes after swirling my pour. Drank the bottle over about five hours. Not sure it needs a long decant. Sure, the tannins calmed down a little after some air, but I really didn’t pick up any significant change from first taste to last. I don’t see this getting much better with time, to me it lacks that extra amplitude that suggests it will evolve into something lovelier than what it is today. The structure will allow it to hold for a decade plus, but what you see is what you get. Drink now to 2039.
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2/8/2024 - Toshu Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is by far the best Malbec I have ever had. Being from Argentina, I have had hundreds of Malbecs.
Everyone at my dinner felt the same way
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2/8/2024 - Toshu Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is by far the best Malbec I have ever had.
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1/1/2024 - ThijsPiet Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very elegant, great complexity and very easy drinking. 3 hour decant.
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12/31/2023 - jmcmchi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted two hours, open another two
Beautiful crimson in glass. Red berries, leather, taut acidity, restrained power.
Balanced enough to pair with a complex dinner and finally with stilton
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12/22/2023 - Kevin Mak Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep Purple
Medium (+) Acidty
Medium (+) Tannins
High Alcohol
Medium (+) Bodied
Long Finish
Medium (+) Intensity
- Cassis, Blackberry, Blueberry, Black Cherry, Liquorice, Vanilla, Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Cigar Box
A cocktail of Crème de Cassis and Cherry Heering, ripe and sweet black fruits intermingle with sweet oak and spices, distinct acidity and alcohol, silky smooth tannins, intense yet balanced, with good length. A wine that have a long way to go, will need a 2 - 3 hours of breathing if to be drunk now.
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11/28/2023 - Vargasjavi wrote: 92 Points
Still young. But beautiful after an hour of being opened. Wood, dark red fruit and some tobacco.
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11/28/2023 - ralbuquerque Likes this wine:
Confraria GBS, Gajos d'Ouro.
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11/28/2023 - ralbuquerque wrote:
Confraria GBS, Gajos d'Ouro
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11/2/2023 - Side Hustle Wino wrote:
This was a beautiful wine but I don’t think it was worth the price tag it’s at.
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8/5/2023 - AndreRibeiroChaves wrote: 88 Points
Vera fulll bodied. Smooth tannins, low acidity. Plenty of fruit to the point of being unidimensional. Not really worth what it costs. It’s made up to be a people pleaser, but sophisticated wine drinkers will find much better options at this price point.
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6/11/2023 - DevenStephens Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! Massive wine! Very dark, rich and hedonistic. Dark fruits, plum, blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, vanilla, leather, chocolate and some funk (almost barnyard?) Delicious wine, opened up after 1h decant and kept singing for the entire evening after. Had it with some sous-vide bbq seared Picanha.
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5/3/2023 - billyloveswine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Muted nose initially, decanted for 30 mins and opened up beautifully. Deep inky ruby in the glass. Medium+ nose of black currant, black cherry, violet, green bell pepper, black pepper, sweet vanilla, and toast. Notes of orange peel emerged with time. Medium acidity, medium+ soft and grainy tannins, and medium+ fruity but slightly drying finish. Very representative of the varietal with a great sense of place.
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4/28/2023 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
This vibes so hard. I have tears missing Argentina. Dark fruits and stemmy deep core with leather and silk. Dark fruits and an electric spine. Beautiful and correct.
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4/9/2023 - SrMundo wrote: 93 Points
Agree with other reviews. Big, very drinkable, hopefullybadditional complexity and nuance with time.
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4/4/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 88 Points
New-world: Guessed this to be either a South American Cab or an Oz Shiraz. Very deep colour, inky black and purple fruit that was rather monolithic. Dense and full-bodied, I dislike such concentration in wines but this will appeal to others.
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3/19/2023 - Enricaccio wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind, I guessed the grape and the area, but not the producer; it started off with a pretty closed nose (it had not been decanted), probably not surprising given the vintage; but it opened up nicely after about an hour. I am not a Malbec drinker and this doesn’t do it for me. But I can tell it’s a quality wine. Worth the price? I am not sure
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2/19/2023 - Kriz wrote: 92 Points
Big wine. Good nose with black fruit, bayleaf, cacao. Good palate with ripe black fruit but with enough freshness. Long finish.
Best part is the label, beautiful.
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1/29/2023 - Aron888 Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is the blood of god the colour is such purple it is pure beauty. But what is even more fantastic is its stunning taste it smoothness and beauty in yor mouth. Never have i ever drunk such a beauty in taste smoothness and perfection.
Thanks for creating such a gift for my palatine.
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1/22/2023 - kenthecpa Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very young but very enjoyable. Decanted for 2 hours.
Perfect with bolognese.
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1/13/2023 - Bottle Dog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opaque dark purple in colour says this is going to be big in body. Somewhat delicate and muted nose, and what is there is earthy and inviting. Supple tannins and mostly balanced acidity, but I think this needs more time to unwind a bit. Dark berries and fruit and pine on the palate. Very nice, but I think it will improve in a couple of years. After 4 hours decanting, it improved greatly.
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1/7/2023 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Twin Cities Wine Club: South American Tasting (Maple Grove, MN): Very nice and decanted 2 hours. Violets, crushed rock, spices, sour cherry, perfume and blue currants. This will age nicely over the next decade. 93+
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12/25/2022 - MikeDB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great Malbec.
Dark ruby tending towards purple. Serious staining of the tears. Magenta rim.
Nose of black fruits (blackberry, plum) and some red fruits (raspberry, cranberry). Plenty of vanilla and oak influence as well. Some herbs and spice in the background too.
Medium tannin and acidity. Very smooth. Wood tannins softened a bit after 1-2 hours of air.
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11/25/2022 - levicn wrote: 91 Points
醒酒五小时，深紫红色，闻香有烟熏，青味，黑果，饼干，水果糖和一些石灰气息，入口酸度中高，酒液甜美，单宁紧涩，颗粒细腻，青味混合着草本，黑果香，余味精致木质香气。新年份酒特征明显，有着不错的集中度，现在喝起来品种的特征稍微弱了点，缺乏记忆点，也许还需要陈年时间吧。
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11/15/2022 - lw3369 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic Malbec. To date, best we've had. Decanted for only 30 minutes. We could tell that an hour or two would have been appropriate. Smoked gouda went very well with this. Dinner was Mahi Mahi, macadamia nut crusted, on a shredded baked potato-zucchini-carrot patty, covered with sautéed spinach and a coconut chili sauce over the top.
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10/10/2022 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pitch black. This is high-toned, feminine but muscular. Sinewy, this is delicious now, but will develop over time. This is just splendid. 97
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10/7/2022 - Caroline Tilton Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of my favorite wines ever. $20 at the bodega but way more in the US. A memorable taste. We tasted it with the music experience. It’s a sexy wine.
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10/1/2022 - Acove Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and back into the bottle for another 4. The nose was somewhat closed down and quiet still but had notes of lush purple flowers, plum, and cocoa. The palate was a powerhouse of purple fruits but also a ton of oak. Very different oak than I am used to this had tons of dark dark chocolate and coffee grounds on the finish. This needs time and is only approachable with a huge decant or else you are missing out. Sad to drink it so early because I'm sure with a decade or so of age this would be something magical.
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9/30/2022 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and followed over dinner.
Nose is still very tight but predominantly picking up purple fruit and maybe some rocky tension. Palate is medium body with incredible tension. Acid and tannin are perfectly balanced. The fruit is restrained but perfectly ripe with flowers. The finish is tons of crushed rock minerality, purple flowers, purple fruit.
Love this. There is clearly tons of potential but the wine is so so tight. Even with the extended decant it is nowhere near ready for drinking.
Hold for another 5 years. Probably 93-95 but hard to rate in its current state. Clearly a phenomenal effort.
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9/6/2022 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2019 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino was complex, intense and well-structured for the long haul. The youthful Mendoza Malbec was clear and deep purple in colour without any noticeable sediments. It required five hours of aeration to open up. Profound aromas of lilac, crushed violet, blackcurrant and blackberry jumped out of the glass. Closely followed were complexities of mocha, tobacco, iodine and grilled mushroom.
The mouthfeel was dry, full-bodied and concentrated, with a medium level of balanced acidity and a high level of chewy tannin. Flavours of crushed flowers, ripe raspberry and preserved black cherry transitioned to toffee, graphite and discreet spices in a long, seamless finish. The 14% alcohol level was well-concealed in the depth of fruits. The empty bottle weighed 938 grams. It is going to evolve into an absolute stunner in a decade. If you cannot wait to taste it, I would recommend decanting the wine in the afternoon, and pair it with a hearty beef stew or grilled eggplant with tomato. Even better, you may sip it on its own to appreciate its endless nuances.
Winemaking information is available on the winery website. The grapes are harvested as whole clusters (20%) and whole berries (80%), which are loaded by hand into French oak barrels for an alcoholic fermentation that lasts twenty eight days. The extended maceration at low temperature allows gentle extraction of tannin and delicate flavours. The wine is raised in French oak barrels for eighteen months. The ambitious wine aims to celebrate the French origin of the Malbec grape, and its rebirth after phylloxera in the high altitude vineyards in Argentina.
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9/6/2022 - Jpg0 Likes this wine: 98 Points
This wine is truly stunning. The bottle is a work of art itself.
Cinnamon, smoke, crushed red berries. Moderately sweet with a tart finish. Exceptionally smooth. Bought a few extra bottles and can’t wait to see what a few years does to this fine Malbec.
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8/26/2022 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée!
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8/6/2022 - Adam T 12 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gave it a 7 hour decant and it was beautiful. Four of us shared the bottle, so it went fast. Other CT notes suggest to give this a long time in the cellar. It was a wow now with a healthy decant.
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7/23/2022 - Gwjrobertson wrote: 90 Points
PnP and triple-decanted at the end of a night; total infanticide, but still delightful; but this needs much more age.
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7/1/2022 - Romz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Too young too early. Poured 1/4 after bottle breath for 4 hours. Palate was disjointed, nose was firm & tight. Left it for 2 nights on the counter in the bottle. Surprisingly so much better and so enjoyable to drink. Black fruits, red fruit, tobacco leaves, oak & cacao beans with so much depth and layers
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4/14/2022 - Avicenne Likes this wine: 94 Points
Catena Zapata Argentino malbec 2019
Pas les meilleurs verres, mais on s’en contentera (mode vacances dans le sud au Finest resort de PuntaCana). Pas pire deal au dutyfree, 92 USD, un produit non-disponible depuis longtemps a la SAQ.
Vignes pré phylloxéra centenaires.
L’etiquette est une oeuvre en soi et relate histoire du vin en France et Argentine.
Robe bien dense.
Bouquet sur les bleuets, mures, chêne, bois de santal, girofle.
Bouche d’un toucher soyeux, epices, chocolat. Assez ample et superbe longueur.
Tres bon et me réconcilie avec les vins amerique du sud.
J’en ai déniché 3 autres fioles au vol de retour.
A carafer certainement!
Le Cheval des andes 2017 faisait pâle figure par rapport a celui-ci.
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3/19/2022 - EndreAabergJohansen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow. This is a great, great wine.
Even the label is complex and cool.
Dark ruby, pretty mild on the nose considering how powerful the wine is.
Rich, fruity, balanced tannines, amazing length.
Great with entrecôte.
Buy again
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3/17/2022 - merlotsmile wrote:
Malmö
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3/8/2022 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Grapes are sourced from prephyloxeric Massale selection from Angelica vineyard which is over 100 years old and Nicasia vineyard. Wine is aged for 18 months in FR oak. Rich, dense and fragrant aroma of blueberries, violets, blackberries, spices, earth, chocolate hints. Full body, thick, rich and well structured dense attack with seamless transition to more feminine and elegant mid palate. Layered black fruit flavours with chocolate, spice and mineral touches intertwined with well integrated fine tannins.
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2/28/2022 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Wine Society webinar, UK, featuring Catena wines and presented online by Dr Laura Catena, great granddaughter of the founder of Catena.
It is impossible to talk about this wine without first mentioning the very impressive label. This depicts four female figures who represent the variety's history in France and its rise in Argentina; ten centuries of life, death and rebirth, if you will. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of malbec. The Immigrant' symbolizes the movement to the New World. 'Phylloxera' personifies the death of malbec. Finally, Adrianna Catena represents Bodega Catena Zapata and the rebirth of malbec in high-altitude plantings in Mendoza, Argentina. (Acknowledgement to The Wine Society and Laura Catena for the description.)
A brilliant label, but it is a shame that the bottle is so environmentally unfriendly with a weight of approx 950g - I understand why they like to use heavy bottles, but we do need to try to save our planet.
The wine is made from grapes from the 920m Angélica vineyard, planted about 1930 in Lunlunta, and the 1095m Nicasia vineyard in La Consulta planted in 1996 with cuttings from the Angélica vineyard. Fermented and then matured in 225-500 litre barrel for 18 months.
So how did we find the wine? The colour is dark blackcurrant and inky. The nose immediately shows class, soft with huge depth. The palate is rich and full, showing spice, velvety and complex. We drank this wine over 3 days, initially with roast beef, then later on its own. It was still developing fully on the third day, so don't rush it. And it must be considered as a food wine rather than just to drink. Overall an excellent wine which I'd like to try again in a couple of years.
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