| Search: (advanced) |
External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Intl. Wine Cellar
BurgHound
WineZap
Vinquire
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1997
1996
1995
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
| Home | All Cellars | Tasting Notes | Reports | Users | Help | Member Sign In |
| SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE NEW CELLARTRACKER! (click for more info...): Coming later in February... | |
2006 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena |
| Vintage | 2006 |  Label 1 of 12   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Bodega Catena Zapata (web) | ||
| Variety | Malbec | ||
| Designation | Catena | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | Argentina | ||
| Region | Mendoza | ||
| SubRegion | n/a | ||
| Appellation | n/a | ||
| UPC Code | 089046444030 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 87.9 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 83 notes) | |
| Tasted by thebonnydooner on 1/24/2010 & rated 89 points: Very nice but not that distinctive. Deep colour, lots of blackberry, plum and currant currant fruit. Juicy, with soft dry tannins, soft currant and cherry fruit. Decent finish. (310 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 1/6/2010 & rated 91 points: (362 views) | |
| Tasted by smoyles on 1/4/2010 & rated 88 points: (439 views) | |
| Tasted by Yiannis on 12/1/2009 & rated 89 points: Very dark purple. Expressive nose with black cherry, sour cherry, black pepper, flowers and freshness. Full-bodied with dense, fresh fruit, firm tanins and high acidity. Long finish. From now to 2015. (914 views) | |
| Tasted by PIntag on 11/1/2009 & rated 85 points: Nice fruity Malbec. Good weight and smooth mouthfeel, but somewhat simple in aroma and flavor. Nothing offensive here, but did not show as well as all of the other Malbecs we were tasting with it, including a $6 bottle of Torrevieja. (1039 views) | |
| Tasted by jannevaro on 10/5/2009 & rated 86 points: (1165 views) | |
| Tasted by bacchus on 10/3/2009 & rated 90 points: lsmft round firm and fully packed. this is a substantial wine and is reasonably priced, resulting in excellent qpr. this is one of the better mendoza malbecs priced under $25. nice red fruit along with a hint of chocolate. this wine is youthful in both color and taste. can easily go to 2011 if not longer. will try to resist opening another one until then. (1289 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 10/2/2009 & rated 87 points: Nez assez simple de chocolat noir et de mures. Une certaine pureté dans le fruit et de la fraîcheur pour un Malbec argentin, mais finale un peu courte et fluide. Pas le deal du siècle à ce prix. (1380 views) | |
| Tasted by nycts74 on 9/29/2009 & rated 88 points: Lovely deep purple color. Mouthfeel was a bit thin on the front but had some nice structure in the back. Big fruit notes balanced nicely with the tannins and acid. A very tasty wine. (1455 views) | |
| Tasted by LPskeleton on 9/27/2009 & rated 89 points: (1267 views) | |
| Tasted by roygui on 9/20/2009 & rated 88 points: (1325 views) | |
| Tasted by jshufelt on 9/13/2009 & rated 89 points: Notes largely consistent with previous bottles. Pop and pour. For the first hour, this was quite tart, but with enough air, recovered to previous form. Next time, I'd give it an hour in the decanter before serving. (1559 views) | |
| Tasted by jwcnd69 on 9/5/2009 & rated 92 points: (1384 views) | |
| Tasted by Capt M on 9/1/2009 & rated 84 points: I like the purple tone of this wine when it first comes out of the bottle, but once in the glass, it is much more ruby tone, dark and dense. The oak is obvious on the nose, but then also some barnyard, some moss, and a tiny little strawberry. This wine has seen its peak already. It is still full bodied, very rich and bold, but the fruit isn't too much there anymore. The oak is. It is creamy and jammy. The finish is kind of spicy; also hot. Dark chocolate. Perhaps a barbeque type wine. (1712 views) | |
| Tasted by Schwengan on 8/31/2009 & rated 84 points: Too jammy to be great and not particularly complex. (1689 views) | |
| Tasted by LionGaucho on 8/22/2009 & rated 84 points: Have to wonder how many cases/production runs there are of this wine. This wine has little to do with other notes. Meaty, black pepper, bell pepper and spice on the nose. Classy nose. But the palate lacks the suppleness of good Malbecs. Not a typical Malbec problem--acid is too apparent. Oddly not a fruit bomb. Soft tannins, though. Linear acid-driven flavors without much of a finish. Nice wine, but not delivering above its price point. (1877 views) | |
| Tasted by jaydanahy on 8/12/2009 & rated 85 points: (1748 views) | |
| Tasted by csu.viticulture on 7/30/2009 & rated 88 points: Very tight on first pour. Eventually gave way to rich, earthy plum, cassis, and a touch of vanilla on the nose. Milk chocolate, anise, and leather eventually emerge. Smooth tannins on the opulent and refined palate. Good balance overall. (2112 views) | |
| Tasted by chd850 on 7/18/2009: N: sweet dark fruit, cherry, dirt M: very soft tannin and acidity. lots of sweetness. Anytime, anywhere red. (2206 views) | |
| Tasted by wahootaster on 7/4/2009 & rated 88 points: Popped and poured with grilled ribeye steaks. Tart at first, with flavors of black and bing cherries, plums, black pepper, notes of leather, chocolate and a touch of vanilla; smooth, integrated tannins, and bright cherries on the long finish. It became less tart and a bit darker with time, and it went perfectly with the steaks. Not as lush and flavorful as I was expecting. I'm thinking it would have been a lot more enjoyable with hours of decanting or with another day or two after opening. (2317 views) | |
| Tasted by vrullo on 6/26/2009 & rated 89 points: (2050 views) | |
| Tasted by jwcnd69 on 6/7/2009 & rated 90 points: (2228 views) | |
| Tasted by JWG on 6/7/2009 & rated 80 points: Perhaps this wine is much better than my rating, but the oaky, spicey extreemely fruit bomb quality is against my taste interests. (2562 views) | |
| Tasted by ihavezinned on 6/6/2009 & rated 90 points: nose of dirt, dusty mocha, & dark fruit. flavors of cherry, leather, spice. soft tannins and mouthfeel. good, long finish. great QPR @ $17 pair with grill steak, tri-tip, or burgers. (2398 views) | |
| Tasted by chayward on 5/26/2009 & rated 88 points: No formal notes, but really interesting Malbec. Went great with grilled steak. (2743 views) | |
| Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles) |
| Producer website
CATENA
What can i say about Catena. It is the most well known winery from Argentina. Nicolás Catena is like Bob Mondavi from South America. They make terrific wines and they are committed to improving the quality of their wines and the wine product of Argentina. Some special wines were compared to Latour, Haut Brion, Penfolds and Opus One. Every Cellar that considers to know something from Argentina has to get something of Catena.
The 2006 Catena Malbec shows a dark violet color with deep bluish - black tones. The nose offers ripe, concentrated dark fruit aromas with delicate floral notes and traces of vanilla and mocha. The mouthfeel is rich and lush, with concentrated black cherry and red currant fruit flavors layered with sweet spices, tobacco and a touch of leather. The finish presents soft, supple tannins with bright, crisp acidity and a flinty minerality which gives the wine exceptional length. - Alejandro Vigil, Winemaker
About red wine Varietal character (Appellation America) One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. Because if its balance and fruit, good pairings include cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat and chicken, pâté, spinach soufflé, and pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra. Wines of Argentina Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement. The wine-making region in Argentina ranges between the 22° and 42° South latitude. It spreads at the foothills of the Andean mountain range along over 2,400 km; from the province of Salta to the province of Río Negro, with a variety of climates and soils that makes each region a unique land. In general terms, the areas dedicated to vine cultivation are dry and arid with a low level of rain and humidity, determining factor as regards grape health. Abundant sunny days and thermal amplitude favor a good maturity and concentration of aroma and color in the grain. Soils are deep, permeable and poor in organic matter, decisive qualities at the time of obtaining good wine. Due to the low rain regime, irrigation is necessary. Water comes from the Andean range thaw, descending in the shape of rivers to become channels or ditches. Undoubtedly, the combination of these factors turns Argentina into a veritable oasis for the highest quality wine-making. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Wine-making in Argentina, at the level that it achieves today, has a young history that goes back to a little more than 10 years ago. Technological progress, investment and some farsighted businessmen enabled a determining transformation. The province of Mendoza is the most traditional area in the viticultural industry, and is diverse enough to be divided into zones, according to their significantly different weather, height and soil characteristics. These include the Northern Zone, which is suitable for fruity whites and young reds, at a height from 600 to 700m; the Eastern Zone, with a height ranging from 600 to 700m, and the most productive zone in the province; the Uco Valley, a zone of colder weather and higher altitudes (between 800 and 1,400m over sea level); San Rafael, with heights ranging from 450 to 800m; and the High Zone of the Mendoza River, with heights ranging from 800 to 1,100m over sea level and various microclimates, this is the zone where almost all noble varieties have easily become adapted. It is a region that is remarkably well-suited to vine culture, protected from the Pacific’s cooling influence by the Andes and enjoying a long summer of cool nights and warm days, with a dry summer climate but plenty of water available from the region’s rivers. Malbec in particular is outstanding from this area, and it has clearly emerged as the star, the darling of both consumers and critics. Wines of Mendoza Argentine Malbec Producers |
© 2003-10 CellarTracker! LLC. All rights reserved. "CellarTracker!" is a trademark of CellarTracker! LLC. No part of this website may be used, reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of CellarTracker! LLC. (CellarTracker! Terms and Conditions. Version 3.11.0) - Follow us on Twitter
