Nicolás Catena Zapata

Nicolás Catena Zapata bottle image

Wine Description

The Catena family’s vision has been to uncover those magical places in each of the family’s vineyards that offer the purest expression of the land. Farming these special lots manually, hand-tending each of the vines, has led to the identification of individual plants which consistently produce the most exceptional fruit. These Zapata vines have been physically marked with a red sash, ensuring the most demanding attention to detail in their care. Harvested separately in multiple passes through the vineyard, the grapes are then loaded by hand into French oak barrels for a long, cool fermentation with cap management being done by hand. Over 200 separate micro-fermentations are done, separated by different lots and harvest times. 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 tasting against First Growth Bordeaux and other prestigious cuvées from around the world. 

Remington-Mendoza
Laura Catena sits at a table with a glass of wine
Malbec Grapes
Alejandro Vigil (Chief Winemaker) and Laura Catena Tasting
Malbec Clone in La Piramide Vineyard
Nicolás Catena
Bodega Catena Zapata
Bodega Catena Zapata
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Acclaim
Full ruby-red. Deep aromas of cassis, black cherry, menthol and chocolate, lifted by a minty nuance. Very smooth and fresh, with its juicy dark fruit flavors enlivened by elements of crushed stone, eucalyptus and spicy oak. Relies as much on its acidity as on its tannins for structure and balance. Not a powerful style but this sexy Cabernet is full of life. This wine began its life a bit compact, noted winemaker Alejandro Vigil, and still comes across as slightly clenched compared to most of the subsequent vintages. But it's a distinctly claret-like drink.
— Stephen Tanzer, Oct 2016
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
La Pirámide, Domingo, Adrianna and Nicasia Vineyards
Vineyard size
Various acres
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam
Training method
VSP
Elevation:
3,117 - 4,757 feet
Vines/acre:
2220
Yield/acre:
1.2 tons
Exposure:
Northwestern
Year vineyard planted:
Various
Harvest time:
March - April
First vintage of this wine:
1997
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
25 - 35
Varietal composition:
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec
Fermentation container:
Vertical open barriques & small stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
20 days
Fermentation temperature:
78.8 - 86 °F
Maceration technique:
Manual punching down
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques & small vats
Type of oak:
French Oak
Length of aging before bottling:
24 months
Age of Aging Container:
100% New
Length of bottle aging:
12 - 18 months
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.