Nose
The nose offers ripe, concentrated dark fruit aromas with delicate floral notes and traces of vanilla and mocha.
Palate
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.
Growing Conditions
In general terms the 2007 growing season was characterized by warmer than usual daytime temperatures (3.6° F [1.8° C] above normal) with colder than usual nighttime lows (1.8° F [1° C] below normal). There was also more relative humidity throughout the year. On February 16, the nighttime temperatures throughout Mendoza plummeted to levels of 35 - 37° F (2 - 3° C). This caused a hormonal shock in the plant, signaling the onset of its autumnal cycle and significantly quickening the ripening process.
This phenomenon, coupled with increased temperatures throughout the year, meant that the harvest was earlier than usual by between 14, and even up to 30, days, depending on the area. The growing season also presented a higher than normal amount of both general precipitation and violent hail storms. Due to rain which began on March 24th, those grapes which had already been harvested and sent to Bodega Catena Zapata for vinification, showed excellent levels of quality and concentration. All white wine varietals, as well as low yielding lots, had already been harvested by March 24.
Several lots in Bodega Catena Zapata's highest altitude vineyards were left to continue the ripening process and recover from the precipitation.
The very cool temperatures in these vineyards, coupled with previously implemented water stress and leaf-pulling, allowed these lots to achieve excellent maturity, with very good overall sanitary conditions and harvest taking place very late in the year.
Harvest
This vineyard, the highest in all of Mendoza, was also characterized by an early than normal harvest. While late November precipitation refreshed the vines from the higher temperatures, the rest of December, January and February were very dry. The shock of nighttime low temperatures in February again quickened the ripening cycle, with the Malbec harvest beginning on March 16th, almost a month ahead of time. Additional Malbec was brought in on March 20th and April 2. This fruit shows very high levels of flavor concentration and excellent tannin quality. The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest began on April 2, about 2 weeks early. Additional lots were harvested on April 9.
As was the case in Altamira in La Consulta, there were a few remaining lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec which were left in the vineyard to recover from the precipitation of early April. With similar vineyard characteristics of sandy, well-drained soils and extremely low temperatures, and with the vineyard management techniques of leaf-pulling and water restriction, the remaining Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon continued to ripen properly.
The harvest was taken up again on April 27th and lasted until May 4th. The last Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, harvested on April 30th showed a very ripe style of dark cassis fruit. The Malbec, harvested on May 4th, presented the same dark fruit profile typical of this vineyard, but with a higher level of polyphenolic concentration.
Winemaking
The fruit for the Catena Malbec undergoes a short pre-fermentation, cold maceration for 5 days at a temperature of 48° F. This process allows for excellent extraction of aromas and color. The juice is then fermented between 75 - 80°F. These moderate temperatures allow for wonderful mid-palate extraction while avoiding any harsh or bitter tannins.
Total Acidity: 5.4 grams/liter
Aging
The wine is aged in a blend of French and American oak for 12 months, with 35% new oak adding wonderful layers of complexity.
Appearance
The 2007 Catena Malbec shows a dark violet color with deep bluish - black tones.
