Catena Zapata - Malbec Argentino

$105 USD

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The Zapata Wines

The Catena Zapata family's mission is to make profound and unforgettable wines; wines that reflect the special character of each vine within the family's historic vineyards. Constantly pushing the viticultural envelope, Nicolás and Laura Catena have identified Mendoza's best microclimates, selected the highest quality Malbec vines and pioneered viticulture in undiscovered regions - the Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation in the Andean foothills. 
Their vision has been to uncover those magical places in each of the family's vineyards which 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 Zapata Vines form the foundation of the Catena Zapata wines.

 

Wine Descriptions

No matter what the vintage, this wine is really more than 100 years old. It represents a family's journey to produce an Argentine Malbec that can stand with the great wines of the world. Malbec Argentino is a blend of Catena Zapata's historic Malbec vineyards Adrianna and Nicasia.

 

VINIFICATION

20% whole cluster and 80% whole berry fruit is hand-loaded into 225-500 liter new French oak barrels for a 100% barrel fermentation for a period of 30 - 32 days, allowing seamless oak integration. The fermentation temperature is kept low, extracting intense aromas, and the cap management is done by hand to ensure soft, gentle flavors and tannin extraction. Wild yeasts.  Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel leaves considerable lees and sediment. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 24 months.  Adrianna Malbec component is co- fermented with Viognier and Nicasia Malbec component  is co- fermented with Cabernet Franc.

VINEYARDS
Harvest time varies depending on each lot's soil composition. Harvest time can vary by several weeks between one lot and another within the same vineyard. 

Adrianna Vineyard
Named after Nicolás Catena’s youngest daughter Adrianna.
Alluvial, gravelly with limestone deposits in the topsoil. 
Location: Gualtallary District, Tupungato Region, Mendoza, Argentina.
Altitude: 4,757 ft (1,450 m) elevation.
Soil: Shallow topsoil with gravelly surface stones.
Plant selection: Catena Cuttings malbec selection.

Nicasia Vineyard
Named after Nicolás Catena's grandmother.
Location: Altamira en La Consulta District, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Altitude: 3,593 ft (1,095 m) elevation.
Soil: Very shallow loamy topsoil with surface gravel and gravelly (large stones) dry river bed subsoil - optimal drainage. 
Plant selection: Catena Cuttings malbec selection.


TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Winemaker: Alejandro Vigil
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Alcohol: 14.0 %
Total Acidity: 6.3 grams / liter in tartaric
pH: 3.6
Unfined and unfiltered.

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