Malbec Argentino
The Argentino wine is a blend of the best Malbec plots of the Catena estate. It is aged for 17 months in 100% French oak barrels. Its fragrances are extremely complex and aromatic, with flavours of smoked wood, dark chocolate, liquorice, pepper, cloves, black cherry and blackberry on the palate and a long, powerful finish.
Bred in the same way as the Adrianna and Nicasia wines, the Argentino is the most structured of the three and has incredible ageing potential: 25 to 40 years. It is an outstanding achievement in Malbec!
The region
At the foot of the snow-covered peaks of the Andes, lies Argentina's largest vineyard (145,000 ha or 70% of Argentina's total vineyard). 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.
And to finish More Information
The Estate Catena Zapata
Established at the foot of the Andes since 1902, Nicolas Catena 's Bodega Catena Zapata perpetuates the tradition of great Argentine wines in the Mendoza region, aided by the best quality terroir in the country.
Three separate vineyards are spread over 200 hectares, cultivated at an average altitude of 1000 metres. The king grape variety here is Malbec, but Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and other local varieties such as Torrontes also do well
In the 1970s, Jorge Catena gave a new impetus to the wines of Catena Zapata by modernising the production tools and, above all, by matching the grape varieties with the different types of soil in order to reveal the identity of the terroir as finely as possible. Since 1975, José Galante, with his long experience, particularly in France, has been in charge of the vinification of the wines of the most famous Argentinean Bodega, often honoured by the greatest tasters such as Robert Parker.
Catena Zapata wines can be presented in 3 distinct ranges:
- - Alamos: for fruity wines, all in greediness, faithful representatives of the grape variety incarnate
- - Catena Zapata or Alta: for wines that faithfully represent all the identity and qualities of the Bodega's terroirs in concentrated, expressive, complex wines. These wines are made from a selection of the best plots on the estate and only produced in the best vintages for the Alta range
- - Top of the range wines Nicolas, Argentino...: highlighting the magic of the great Argentinean wine...
Come and discover now what Argentina knows how to do best. You can enjoy all these wines with red meats, especially with lamb for a 100% pleasure tasting. Enjoy and taste these wines in moderation.
The Estate Le Clos du Caillou
All these specificities, gathered at the heart of the Clos du Caillou estate, allow us to offer very high quality Côtes du Rhône wines, such as the magnificent Quartz vintage, which demonstrates the richness of these exceptional terroirs. In addition, Sylvie Vacheron and Bruno Gaspard have been converting the estate to organic farming since 2006. The 2010 vintage was the first to benefit from the organic label (AB), which completes the quality of the work undertaken for decades. An estate to be followed closely, with all the qualities to produce the best... Discover the best vintages on the Passionnés du Vin website; Bouquet des garrigues, Quartz, Safres, Cuvée réserve; all of these vintages will brighten up your taste buds (in moderation) and go wonderfully well with a multitude of dishes, for an exceptional tasting experience.
The Estate Le Clos du Caillou
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