95 Points - Robert Parker. The Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2020 is one of the jewels in Argentinas wine crown. Its produced from vines that are up to 90 years old from the Catena Zapata Family Vineyards, Nicasia and Angélica vineyards, which lie at between 920m and 1095 metres above sea level. With their mix of gravel, loam and clay, these sites provide a wonderfully vivid and varied palate from which the winemakers can work. Such is the diversity that several weeks can pass between harvesting different plots of the same vineyard.  In the winery, great care is taken to use the most appropriate methods. So, some will see almost all grapes as whole clusters for fermentation, while others see only a small proportion. All wines are aged in oak for 18 months, a luxurious process that adds even greater richness and ageing ability.

Vivino Rating: 4.6 (Oct 2024)

Wine Press Ratings

95 Points - Robert Parker (2020 Vintage)

94 Points - Tim Atkin MW (2020 Vintage)

Taste

As you might expect from one of Cantenas flagship wines, the Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2020 is a class act. Inky purple in colour, the bouquet leaps from the glass offering juicy black fruits, chocolate, tobacco, spices and dusty minerals. On the powerful palate, theres a mix of cassis, blackberries, and earthy brown spices, layered with smooth tannins and a rich seam of vanilla oak and a touch of green herb bitterness to the finish. For all its size it remains elegant, focused, and refined. Undoubtedly one of the greatest Malbecs in the world, this is a wine to serve with fine food or simply sip with good company.

About the Producer

Catena has become a byword for Argentinean wine brilliance.  Founded in 1902 and now run by Dr. Laura Catena, it has helped make Malbec Argentinas signature grape.  Pioneers from the start, Nicolas Cantenas belief in high altitude viniculture has given birth to an entirely new style of Malbec wines, ones that are as refined as a Classed Growth Bordeaux , but which retain that Latin flair that makes Argentinean Malbec so popular. Their estate is made up of six vineyards in the Luján de Cuyo, Tupungato and San Carlos sub-regions of Mendoza, at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to an ear-popping 4,750 feet (920 to 1450 meters) above sea level. Quality is all that matters here, and from their entry-level wines such as the Catena Appellation La Consulta Malbec 2019 to the rare Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, their obsession with excellence shines through.