The venerable intersection of unbridled passion, artistic integrity and the beauty of the malbec grape, refined and bottled. Fresh blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, oak, rose petal, violet, fig and cherry dance vibrantly from nose to jaw, crashing like waves of velvet and silk against the shores of your disbelief. Acid and tannin alike boast a visionary's restraint, weaving their way through a medium body and panoramic finish as new details percolate forth on every sip, offering a veritable myriad of pullable notes throughout. Perhaps too, that is where the real magic hides... between the thoughts and grasping to haplessly assess and interpret something so ethereal and profound. Sometimes all you can do is sit back and splendor in awe, and that my friends, is one of the best places to be.
With all that said, there's a noticeable potential for a splendid unfurling in this bottle, so if you hold onto one of these for a few more years, you can safely expect nothing less than an absolutely transcendental experience.
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Decanted about an hour… dark blue fruit goodness with a touch of mineral flavor and a good cigar. Family and friends’ favorite. Had a few of these bottles since 2023… definitely developing into one of my favorites. I only have 5 more so will cherish these…
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Far too young to drink now, completely one dimensional with overwhelming dark fruit and oak. It definitely has ageing potential but needs another 2-3 years, at least, before I’ll open another bottle. I gave it a 4 hour decant, and sampled it hourly but it didn’t develop any more nuance or appeal.
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4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (V&M's): Double blind. Inky garnet color. Aromas of chocolate, currant and blackberry. Full-bodied, slightly acidic and hot, showing its alcohol. Flavors of blackberry and chocolate. Guessed Napa cab. (V&M)
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Interesting nose of sweet black raspberries and chalky minerals as well as green garden herbs and oak. Full-bodied, this is sleek with ultra fine tannins, crisp acids and sweet fruit that is a bit subdued at present. The finish is long and persistent with a noticeable salty streak. This needs a few years to show its best Drink 2025-2035 94+
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Beautiful young Malbec. One of the top wines from Catena Zapata. Blueberry, vanilla, oak with medium+ tannins. This is really enjoyable now and will be really great after some time in the cellar. 93 points.
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Blueberries, blackberries, oak, vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate. Wow. What a wine. Incredibly smooth with concentrated blue fruit and velvety tannins, complemented by amazing acidity and integrated oak notes, finishing long with coffee and dark chocolate. It's sure to improve with aging, but I don't quite understand how. Wonderful and ready to drink now.
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deep red purple, rich nose of raspberry liqueur-infused dark chocolate, fruitcake, plums and black cherries, on the palate polished and velvety, opulent but in proper balance, layers of herbal notes currently buried by the fruit, blueberry note, this will develop and improve with age but is really impressive right now, a wine of enormous volume and grand excesses- but a good firm structure keeps it all in proper balance.
Decanted for a couple of hours before dinner. Paired this with Michelle’s homemade (Costco) lasagna and some garlic bread. The wine was dark purple, not much aroma, but flavours of cherry, plum and I’m guessing vanilla. The body was smooth and rounded with fine tannins.
Somehow about 3/4 of a glass was left in the decanter overnight. It went well with my morning oatmeal and a strip of bacon.
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À l'aveugle pris pour un Cali de cépages bordelais. Étonné par la finesse du cépage malgré la concentration évidente. Belle longueur suave, tanins raffinés, clairement du bel ouvrage reste ;a voir si ça peut évoluer davantage.
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Dark purple color. Deep, concentrated aromas, but there’s so much life in here as well, with tart blackberries, plum sauce, complexities of eucalyptus, spiced black tea, black pepper, violets, dark chocolate, iron and pencil shavings. The palate shows gorgeous focus and concentration, with fine-grained tannic structure and racy acidity. Tart currants, black cherries, laced with smoky earth, dried roses and violets, clove, eucalyptus, mint, even some soy and mushroom hints. The mouthfeel and complexity are just lovely. Lots of aging potential here, or give it air and sip over two days and I can’t imagine someone not loving this.
WINE & SPIRITS TOP 100, SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco, Ca.): Nose of plum, baker's chocolate, freshly roasted coffee grounds, sage, and herbs, same on the palate, big body, tasty, mouth filling, needs four years to peak, soft tannins and sweet fruit on the long finish.
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4/12/2024 - Metalhorns Likes this wine: 95 Points
The venerable intersection of unbridled passion, artistic integrity and the beauty of the malbec grape, refined and bottled. Fresh blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, oak, rose petal, violet, fig and cherry dance vibrantly from nose to jaw, crashing like waves of velvet and silk against the shores of your disbelief. Acid and tannin alike boast a visionary's restraint, weaving their way through a medium body and panoramic finish as new details percolate forth on every sip, offering a veritable myriad of pullable notes throughout. Perhaps too, that is where the real magic hides... between the thoughts and grasping to haplessly assess and interpret something so ethereal and profound. Sometimes all you can do is sit back and splendor in awe, and that my friends, is one of the best places to be.
With all that said, there's a noticeable potential for a splendid unfurling in this bottle, so if you hold onto one of these for a few more years, you can safely expect nothing less than an absolutely transcendental experience.
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3/27/2024 - Metz2023 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted about an hour… dark blue fruit goodness with a touch of mineral flavor and a good cigar. Family and friends’ favorite. Had a few of these bottles since 2023… definitely developing into one of my favorites. I only have 5 more so will cherish these…
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12/25/2023 - AK80 wrote:
Far too young to drink now, completely one dimensional with overwhelming dark fruit and oak. It definitely has ageing potential but needs another 2-3 years, at least, before I’ll open another bottle. I gave it a 4 hour decant, and sampled it hourly but it didn’t develop any more nuance or appeal.
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11/25/2023 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (V&M's): Double blind. Inky garnet color. Aromas of chocolate, currant and blackberry. Full-bodied, slightly acidic and hot, showing its alcohol. Flavors of blackberry and chocolate. Guessed Napa cab. (V&M)
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10/21/2023 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 94 Points
Interesting nose of sweet black raspberries and chalky minerals as well as green garden herbs and oak. Full-bodied, this is sleek with ultra fine tannins, crisp acids and sweet fruit that is a bit subdued at present. The finish is long and persistent with a noticeable salty streak. This needs a few years to show its best Drink 2025-2035 94+
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10/15/2023 - brasstab wrote: 93 Points
Strong. Didn’t change my life, but it held up nicely with a big dinner.
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10/12/2023 - Bigdong wrote: 94 Points
W&S. young and fresh. cool fruit
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10/7/2023 - Bbrown82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful young Malbec. One of the top wines from Catena Zapata. Blueberry, vanilla, oak with medium+ tannins. This is really enjoyable now and will be really great after some time in the cellar. 93 points.
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9/20/2023 - rcbyers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plum and blueberries and cherries. Smooth with medium-heavy body. Well integrated tannins. Well balanced.
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9/9/2023 - Ennels Likes this wine: 95 Points
Blueberries, blackberries, oak, vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate. Wow. What a wine. Incredibly smooth with concentrated blue fruit and velvety tannins, complemented by amazing acidity and integrated oak notes, finishing long with coffee and dark chocolate. It's sure to improve with aging, but I don't quite understand how. Wonderful and ready to drink now.
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8/13/2023 - rhg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Eucalyptus. Cherry. Balanced tannins. Plums. Violets.
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8/9/2023 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
Decanted an hour prior to serving.
deep red purple, rich nose of raspberry liqueur-infused dark chocolate, fruitcake, plums and black cherries, on the palate polished and velvety, opulent but in proper balance, layers of herbal notes currently buried by the fruit, blueberry note, this will develop and improve with age but is really impressive right now, a wine of enormous volume and grand excesses- but a good firm structure keeps it all in proper balance.
(*****), 2025++
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4/27/2023 - isbjoern wrote: 92 Points
tasted @Vancouver International Wine Festival 2023: Dense and long with sweet dark fruit, fine chocolate notes, excellent wine. - 92 points
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4/22/2023 - Turtlerider Likes this wine:
Decanted for a couple of hours before dinner. Paired this with Michelle’s homemade (Costco) lasagna and some garlic bread. The wine was dark purple, not much aroma, but flavours of cherry, plum and I’m guessing vanilla. The body was smooth and rounded with fine tannins.
Somehow about 3/4 of a glass was left in the decanter overnight. It went well with my morning oatmeal and a strip of bacon.
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4/15/2023 - ludwigbpm wrote: 93 Points
À l'aveugle pris pour un Cali de cépages bordelais. Étonné par la finesse du cépage malgré la concentration évidente. Belle longueur suave, tanins raffinés, clairement du bel ouvrage reste ;a voir si ça peut évoluer davantage.
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2/4/2023 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple color. Deep, concentrated aromas, but there’s so much life in here as well, with tart blackberries, plum sauce, complexities of eucalyptus, spiced black tea, black pepper, violets, dark chocolate, iron and pencil shavings. The palate shows gorgeous focus and concentration, with fine-grained tannic structure and racy acidity. Tart currants, black cherries, laced with smoky earth, dried roses and violets, clove, eucalyptus, mint, even some soy and mushroom hints. The mouthfeel and complexity are just lovely. Lots of aging potential here, or give it air and sip over two days and I can’t imagine someone not loving this.
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11/25/2022 - Benoit Hardy wrote: 89 Points
Dark, powerful, fruity but tons of oak also. Far to be ready. Not my style.
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10/13/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
WINE & SPIRITS TOP 100, SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco, Ca.): Nose of plum, baker's chocolate, freshly roasted coffee grounds, sage, and herbs, same on the palate, big body, tasty, mouth filling, needs four years to peak, soft tannins and sweet fruit on the long finish.
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