Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

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Wine Description

In the mid-nineties, in an effort to produce a super-premium wine, the winemaking team of Catena began an in-depth investigation into the yields from specially selected, high altitude vineyards, idedntifying the individual rows that produce the best fruit. Catena Alta is an assemblage of these historic rows within the Catena family’s estate vineyards. The blend of these rows, like the blend of musical notes that compose a symphony, creates a wine that is layered and complex, concentrated yet nuanced.

Before the world recognized Argentina as “Malbec Country,” Bodega Catena Zapata was known for its old world style Cabernet Sauvignon born in the clay soils of Agrelo. The family cherishes its historic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Agrelo and Tupungato particularly for the ageability and classic varietal characteristics of the wines produced from their grapes.

Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Block 3 of the La Pirámide Vineyard in the Agrelo district of Luján de Cuyo, Block 2 of the Domingo Vineyard in the Villa Bastías district of Tupungato, and Block 2 of the Nicasia Vineyard in the Altamira district of San Carlos in the southern end of the Uco Valley.

Laura Catena sits at a table with a glass of wine

Alejandro Vigil (Chief Winemaker) and Laura Catena Tasting

“Bright dark red. A bit muskier and lower-toned on the nose than the Catena Alta Malbec, offering scents of dark berries and chocolate. Then opened quickly and gained in verve, showing e fine-grained texture and a high-altitude light touch to its spicy red and darker berry flavors. Pungent acidity is keeping this juicy wine quite tight today.”
— Vinous, Jul 2017

“Sourced from high altitude vineyards (La Piramide and Domingo) set on sandy loam, this wine was aged for 18 months in French barriques prior to bottling. Intriguingly this wine has 10% Cabernet Franc blended into the Cabernet Sauvignon. This inky colored wine begins with aromatics of crushed mint, black tea, mocha and suggestions of eucalyptus. The plush mouthfeel is really lovely as this wine delivers black tea, mocha, crushed mint, and black olive tapenade flavors that sit alongside some brisk minerality. The savory aspects of this wine and the salinity are striking. This is another outstanding Alta Cabernet by superstar winemaker Alejandro Vigil.”
— Washington Wine Blog, Nov 2017

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Vineyard name

Lot 3, La Piramide Vineyard, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.

Soil composition

Sandy-Loam

Training method

VSP

Elevation:

3,117-3,675 feet

Yield/acre:

1.2 tons

Exposure:

Northwestern

Harvest time:

Mid-April

First vintage of this wine:

1994

Bottles produced of this wine:

60,000

Maceration length:

30 days

Varietal composition:

90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc

Fermentation container:

Barriques and Barrels

Length of alcoholic fermentation:

16-35 days

Maceration technique:

Punchdown

Malolactic fermentation:

Yes

Type of aging container:

Barriques

Size of aging container:

225 L

Type of oak:

French

Length of aging before bottling:

18 months

Age of Aging Container:

New-Two years

Length of bottle aging:

24 months

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POS MATERIALS

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Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

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Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

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