2016 Catena Zapata pre-shipment offer
Argentinean wines that could stand with the best of the world - that was what Nicolas Catena dreamed of, when he took the reins at the family winery. It wasn't a propitious time. Argentina's economy was getting worse by the day, and the country was labouring under a military government that had just gone to war with the United Kingdom. But the dream gnawed at Nicolas. A stay in Napa, which was still basking in the afterglow of winning the Judgement of Paris, only inspired him further. He knew that great wines were made in great vineyards, and so, on his return home, he set out to find for Argentina's greatest terroir.
His own vineyard manager told him that Malbec would never ripen in the high-altitude elevations at Gualtallary. But that was where Nicolas decided to plant, at an altitude of 1,400 metres. He knew that some of the greatest wines in the world belong to marginal terroirs, and he realised that the poor, high-altitude soils near the Andes, which had been ignored by the original European immigrants because of their low fertility, were actually ideal for quality viticulture; they provided a terroir where vines had naturally low yields and ripened slowly over the summer, producing wines of great balance, elegance and deliciously soft tannins. The Malbec did ripen, and beautifully. More than that; Nicolas discovered that each high-altitude valley provided a unique flavour and aroma profile to the same variety.
The winery became famous with the Nicolas Catena Zapata, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, from selected rows in their top vineyards. It is only produced in the best years. Tasting the 2016 last week, I was bowled over by the complexity of flavours on display, the silky texture; earthy Mexican spices competing with new world fruit and a touch of smart Bordelaise classicism. An altogether different proposition is their single vineyard Adrianna Mundus Bacillus. Adrianna is perhaps South America's greatest vineyard, its grand cru par excellence. The Adrianna Mundus Bacillus is 100% Malbec, and the fruit and flavour components are very much Malbec, yet it also astonishes with the finesse of grand cru Burgundy. /NT
Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment Spring 2020
