Catena Malbec

Catena Malbec bottle image
Catena Malbec bottle image

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Catena Malbec

This Catena Malbec is sourced and blended from the family´s high-altitude vineyards in Maipú, Lujan de Cuyo, Tupungato and San Carlos. Each vineyard is specifically farmed in preparation for its role in the final blend. 80-year-old vines in Lunlunta (Maipù) Vineyard lend soft, sweet texture and the lauded Catena cuttings in Agrelo (Luján de Cuyo) Vineyard add notes of spice. The cold nights in Altamira (San Carlos) Vineyard lend bright, crisp acidity and the intense sunshine in Gualtallary (Tupungato) Vineyard give explosive floral aromatics and concentrated structure. This combination of different vineyard components results in a wine with heightened complexities and unique character that has natural balance, concentration and a distinct varietal identity.

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Tasting Notes

The Catena Malbec presents a deep violet color with purple reflections. This microclimate blend of four unique vineyards offers intense aroma, soft texture and concentrated flavor. Deep aromas of ripe red and dark fruits are joined by delicate violet and lavender notes, with traces of vanilla and mocha. A rich, concentrated mouthfeel is highlighted by flavors of blueberries and blackberries with a touch of leather and cinnamon. The wine has well-integrated tannins, bright acidity and a flinty minerality that provides exceptional length to the finish.

Food Pairing

Pair with roast turkey, grilled steak, salmon, and pasta with red sauce.

This Catena Malbec is sourced and blended from the family´s high-altitude vineyards in Maipú, Lujan de Cuyo, Tupungato and San Carlos. Each vineyard is specifically farmed in preparation for its role in the final blend. 80-year-old vines in Lunlunta (Maipù) Vineyard lend soft, sweet texture and the lauded Catena cuttings in Agrelo (Luján de Cuyo) Vineyard add notes of spice. The cold nights in Altamira (San Carlos) Vineyard lend bright, crisp acidity and the intense sunshine in Gualtallary (Tupungato) Vineyard give explosive floral aromatics and concentrated structure. This combination of different vineyard components results in a wine with heightened complexities and unique character that has natural balance, concentration and a distinct varietal identity.

All Products →

Tasting Notes

The Catena Malbec presents a deep violet color with purple reflections. This microclimate blend of four unique vineyards offers intense aroma, soft texture and concentrated flavor. Deep aromas of ripe red and dark fruits are joined by delicate violet and lavender notes, with traces of vanilla and mocha. A rich, concentrated mouthfeel is highlighted by flavors of blueberries and blackberries with a touch of leather and cinnamon. The wine has well-integrated tannins, bright acidity and a flinty minerality that provides exceptional length to the finish.

Food Pairing

Pair with roast turkey, grilled steak, salmon, and pasta with red sauce.

Brand Materials

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92
POINTS
“Aromas of blackberry and walnut with hints of flowers. Medium body, focused and bright with dried fruit and just a hint of mushroom in the aftertaste. Drink now.”
James Suckling
91
POINTS
“The impressive 2015 Catena Malbec is subtle, balanced and elegant. It mixes fruit from many different zones, with the grapes from the higher part of Valle de Uco fermented with full clusters, the medium part (Vista Flores, lower La Consulta) destemmed and put together with the full clusters from the higher altitude vineyards and the lower parts totally destemmed and in stainless steel. This is a complex blend that showcases the typicity of Malbec in the province of Mendoza with perfumed notes of violets and black cherries, and a touch of spices. The palate has great balance, elegance and subtleness with very fine tannins. Great value for money.”
Wine Advocate
91
POINTS
“The impressive 2015 Catena Malbec is subtle, balanced and elegant. It mixes fruit from many different zones, with the grapes from the higher part of Valle de Uco fermented with full clusters, the medium part (Vista Flores, lower La Consulta) destemmed and put together with the full clusters from the higher altitude vineyards and the lower parts totally destemmed and in stainless steel. This is a complex blend that showcases the typicity of Malbec in the province of Mendoza with perfumed notes of violets and black cherries, and a touch of spices. The palate has great balance, elegance and subtleness with very fine tannins. Great value for money.”
Wine Advocate
89
POINTS
"Healthy red-ruby. Inky aromas of blackberry, licorice and tar, with some leathery funkiness. Smooth and subtly sweet but with brisk acidity to frame its flavors of tart red berries. Finishes a bit unyielding, with firm tannins and good length. This and the basic Cabernet are vinified and aged mostly in tank."
Vinous
89
POINTS
“Crisp toasty blackberry aromas suggest good things to come. A vibrant palate is bouncy and jumpy with acidity. Roasted berry flavors break down a bit before finishing meaty and gamy.”
Wine Enthusiast
“Aromas of blackberry and walnut with hints of flowers. Medium body, focused and bright with dried fruit and just a hint of mushroom in the aftertaste.”
James Suckling
“Deep cherry red. Gently dark-fruited and fragrant. Beautifully subtle and elegant on the palate. There's plenty of fruit though it is not fruit forward thanks to excellent harmony of the parts - fruit and tannins and freshness. It becomes a little more expressive in the glass and shows an attractive dusty/stony quality. A hint of oak spice and oak sweetness on the finish and the silkiest of tannins already - but no sense it is not going to age well. So fresh and supple. Tastes fresher than the numbers suggest.” (17 points)
Jancis Robinson
"#46 on Wine.com 100 list."
Wine.com
"This full-bodied Malbec utilises the distinctive microclimates found throughout Mendoza, Argentina to create a truly unique flavour profile. Expect ripe blackberry with a touch of chocolate and a delicious spicy, peppery, acidic finish." (Recommended)
The Independent
In "40 Wines That Changed the Way We Drink," Isle writes: "The Catena family was first out of the gate to change that hard-to-imagine situation. Today millions of cases of Malbec are sold in the U.S. every year. Catena’s, like the plum-peppery 2015, is still among the best.”
Food & Wine

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:
The Lulnlunta, Agrelo, Altamira en La Consulta, and Gualtallary wineyards
Soil composition:
Depending on site - clay, sand and limestone, calcareous deposits and surface stones
Training method:
VSP
Elevation:
2,822, 3,084, 3,871, 4,921 feet
Vines/acre:
2,200
Exposure:
Northwestern
Year vineyard planted:
Various
First vintage of this wine:
1994
Bottles produced of this wine:
780,000

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:
100% Malbec
Fermentation container:
Barriques
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
32 days
Fermentation temperature:
75 - 80 °F
Maceration technique:
Racking, Punchdown, and Pumpovers
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
14 months
Age of Aging Container:
35% New