Catena Zapata Malbec

This wine is aged for 12 months in barrels. It has aromas of ripe red fruit, cherry and blackberry, with some chocolate and spice notes.The wine is round in the mouth with sweet tannins and a nice finish.

The region

At the foot of the snow-covered peaks of the Andes lies Argentina's largest vineyard (Mendoza: 145,000 ha or 70% of Argentina's vineyards). Being recognized as the best wine region in Argentina, most of the big estates are located here. This region gathers a total of 1221 estates that produce 10 million hectolitres per year. No wonder Mendoza is the epicentre of the Argentine wine industry.

The estate

Bodega Catena Zapata was founded in 1902 following the immigration of the Catena family, of Italian origin, to the region of Lujan de Cuyo, a few kilometres from Mendoza.
This province is considered to be the most favourable for vine growing. Nicolas Catena owns several vineyards planted at high altitudes in the foothills of the Andes.
There is the "Tikal" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 950 m, with 105 hectares, the "Angelica" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 860 m, with 79 hectares, and the "Luca" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 1130 m, with 35 hectares. It was under the impetus of the younger brother, Jorge Catena, a graduate of the University of California at Davis, and under the tutelage of Nicolas Catena, that the vineyards and winemaking techniques were modernised. Drawing on his Californian experience, he set up a research programme to locate the best microclimates and terroirs for planting French, Italian and Californian grape varieties. The winemaking has been directed by José Galante since 1975. José's experience goes back to the Simi estate in California and a long stay in the Bordeaux region, Burgundy and Chablis. The director of viticulture has been Pedro Marchevsky since 1972. The estate markets its wines under three labels: Catena Alta, Catena and Alamos.

The Malbec grape variety

A black grape variety that was once very popular in Bordeaux, it is nowadays still associated with the vineyards of Cahors and Argentina. This grape variety, which adapts well to a large number of regions, is known by various names; studies show a long list of almost 400 synonyms, the best known being Côt in the Loire Valley, Pressac in the Libourne region or Auxerrois in Cahors.
In Argentina, it is the most widely planted grape variety, with a surface area of over 16,000 ha. Often vinified as a single variety, Malbeck, to use the local spelling, shows many organoleptic similarities with wines made from Bordeaux blends. It has clearly become the favourite grape variety of the Argentine vineyards and seems to have found its home in the Mendoza region, where it is capable of reaching heights of quality and elegance. Very dark in colour, the wines are intense and fruity, with good ageing potential.