Argentina

Rivadavia - Mendoza

Bonarda

Bonarda was brought by the Italian immigrants at the end of the 19th century, becoming in the 90's the most cultivated red grape in Argentina. Bonarda is a late-ripening grape variety that adapts well to light soils. It grows best in southeast Mendoza, where medium temperatures allow for optimal grape maturity.

Nicola Catena Bonarda

Bodega Catena Zapata

Angélica Zapata Merlot Alta

Angélica Zapata Cabernet Franc Alta

Angélica Zapata Malbec Alta

Catena Zapata Estiba Reservada

Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard

Angélica Zapata Chardonnay Alta

Angélica Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Alta

Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec

Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec

Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae Malbec

Nicolás Catena Zapata

Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay

Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay

Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino

Drinks International

Vivino's Wine Style Awards

Robert Parker WIne Advocate

Wine & Spirits

Wine Enthusiast

Robert Parker

Great wines begin in the vineyard. Our vision is to make rich and unforgettable wines that are true to the special place they come from. The story of Catena is the story of Argentine wine.

Founded in 1902, Argentina’s Bodega Catena Zapata is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec and in discovering extreme high altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza.

The family’s Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation has been called the Grand Cru of South America.

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay

Malbec

Merlot

Petit Verdot

Dr. Laura Catena is a Harvard and Stanford trained biologist and physician, founder of the Catena Institute of Wine in Argentina, and managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata (Est. 1902). The Catena Institute is dedicated to preserving the Malbec wine variety and to elevating Argentine wine. Under Laura’s leadership, Bodega Catena Zapata has reached new heights. The family winery earned six 100-point wine ratings, was voted most awarded winery in the world by VIVINO WINE STYLE AWARDS three years in a row and was chosen WORLD’S MOST ADMIRED WINE BRAND by Drinks International in 2020. Laura is author of Argentina’s definitive wine guide, “Vino Argentino” and her second book, “Gold in the Vineyards,” received the Best in Wine History award from Gourmand. She lives with her husband and three children between Mendoza, Argentina, and San Francisco, California, where she volunteers as a street physician with the Department of Public Health.

Dr. Laura Catena

“Nicolás Catena Zapata is a figure in Argentina of the stature of Robert Mondavi in Napa and Angelo Gaja in Piedmont. He inspired an entire region to strive for a higher level of quality by his successful exploration of high-altitude vineyards and rigorous clonal selection,” says Master Sommelier, Larry Stone.
 
The grandson of Italian immigrants, Dr. Nicolás Catena Zapata grew up working in the Catena family vineyards. He studied Economics at Columbia University and later, after visiting the Napa Valley during the early 1980s, he was inspired to start a wine revolution back in Argentina. He pioneered high-altitude viticulture and is responsible for the rebirth of the ancient Malbec variety in Argentina.

Dr. Nicolás Catena Zapata

The grapes for Angélica Zapata are sourced from high altitude, mountain vineyards planted at elevations between 3297’ and 3957’ above sea level. Years of research, led to the identification of the ideal “terroir” that could offer the highest concentration of aromas and flavors. Bodega Catena Zapata pioneered the discovery of the ideal high altitude microclimate for each particular varietal.

This is the Catena Zapata family top wine. It is a "Bordeaux"
blend, consisting mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon. The history of
this wine dates back to 1990, when Dr. Nicolás Catena Zapata
decided to launch a high-end Cabernet Sauvignon that could
compete with the best Cabernet in the world. Nicolás Catena
Zapata had always been a great admirer and collector of the red
wines of Bordeaux and Napa Valley.

Located in the far southerly growing region of Altamira en La Consulta, the Nicasia vineyard is the only planting of the special Catena Selection of Malbec cuttings in this traditional area for Malbec. La Consulta was Nicolás Catena’s father Domingo’s prefered Malbec location.

White

This cuvée takes its name from a small parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard that is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed. The abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures. They absorb heat and moderate the nights, but also function like ice cubes after a very cold night. Stony soil Malbecs tend to be extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious, just like the River Stones Malbec from Adrianna. This wine can be enjoyed young or aged for decades.

The Catena Family is entering its second century of winemaking in Mendoza, Argentina. Named after Nicolás Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago. The limestone layers are well-drained and particularly rich in rhizobacteria, the microorganisms that help vine roots withstand stress and absorb nutrients. Thus, the name "mundus bacillus terrae" or "elegant microbes of the earth".

Fortuna Terrae means luck of the land in Latin, and indeed, our vines from this parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard are lucky. The deep loamy soils are home to many varieties of native grasses which prevent erosion and attract benefic insects, singing birds and mountain foxes. Because of the freshness imparted by the deep soils and high altitude, the wines of Fortuna Terrae have optimal acidity and delicate flower aromas. It is best to enjoy this wine a few years or decades after harvest.

The inaugural 1997 vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America when it won a series of blind tastings against other prestigious cuvées from around the world.

For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina. In his pursuit to make wines that stand with the best in the world, Nicolás Catena identified the best lots, and rows, in the Catena family’s estate vineyards.

White Stones Chardonnay comes from a select 27 rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The name refers to the ground beneath the vines which is covered with gravel - oval white stones.

The Adrianna vineyard is located at almost 5,000’ elevation in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region. The rocky soil prevents deep root growth and allows for ideal drainage conditions. These are very poor soils where the vines are constantly in conditions of stress. The cool nights allow for very slow ripening, optimal acid retention and low yields.

For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina. In his pursuit to make wines that stand with the best in the world, Nicolás Catena identified the best lots and rows, in the Catena family’s estate vineyards.

The Adrianna vineyard is located at almost 5,000’ elevation in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region. White Bones Chardonnay comes from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The name refers to the soil underneath these rows, which is layered with calcareous deposits and limestone as well as fossilized animal bones - remnants of a river that used to pass through the region.

There are many theories about why the grapes coming from these rows have such distinctive floral aromatics with an earthy minerality in the nose and palate. It may be related to the minerals in the soil or to the effects that the calcareous deposits have on root penetration.

At this extreme high altitude, the nights are cool, only a few degrees above freezing even in the summer. The night-day temperature difference is between 15 and 20 degrees. And the sunlight is more intense because of the altitude.

Red Blend

The epic tale of the noble Malbec grape is like no other, and the label for Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino pays tribute to the variety’s history in France and its rise in Argentina. Four female figures embody different landmarks in the history of the grape. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of Malbec. She is a strong, Old World presence, lingering at the bridge in Cahors, where Malbec came into its own. Next, the Immigrant symbolizes the movement to the New World and the unknown explorers and adventurers who connected Europe with the Americas. Phylloxera personifies the death of Malbec in the Old World, which enabled its rebirth in the new. Finally, there is Bodega Catena Zapata, represented by Adrianna Catena, who depicts birth, earth, and motherhood, sharing the riches of the New World. Today, the Catena family’s fourth generation leads the high-altitude renaissance in Argentina. We are returning Malbec to the sky... where it belongs.

No matter what the vintage, this wine is really more than 100 years old. It represents a family's journey to produce an Argentine Malbec that can stand with the great wines of the world. Malbec Argentino is a blend of Catena Zapata's historic Malbec vineyards Adrianna and Nicasia.

Argentina

Bodega Catena Zapata

2016

Nicola Catena Bonarda

Rivadavia - Mendoza

Release Price

Drink Window

ABV

pH

TA

RS

Nose

Palate

Growing Conditions

Winemaking

Aging

Appearance

More from this Producer