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2021 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 6pk 6x750ml

The wine that beat First Growth Bordeaux in blind tastings and put Argentine Malbec on the map. Four generations of high-altitude mastery from the family that defined the category.

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2021 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 6pk 6x750ml

The wine that beat First Growth Bordeaux in blind tastings and put Argentine Malbec on the map. Four generations of high-altitude mastery from the family that defined the category.

Retail $1,176
$834
$139 / bottle when you buy the 6-pack
You save $342
  • The "Original Bordeaux Blend" Reborn in Mendoza
  • First Premium Argentine Cuvée To Win Blind Tastings Against Château Latour
  • "Really Refined And Juicy On The Palate With Lots Of Fine Tannins" ~97 James Suckling
  • Final Blend Overseen by Nicolás Catena
  • "2021 Was an Ideal Vintage for Bordeaux-Origin Varieties" ~96 Vinous Media 
  • Free Shipping on 12 or More Bottles.
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Image of 2021 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 6pk 6x750ml 2021 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 6pk 6x750ml
$1,176
$834
$139 / bottle when you buy the 6-pack
You save $342

About The Wine

Bodega Catena Zapata was founded in 1902 when Italian immigrant Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza. Four generations later, the family is credited with making world-class wines and giving status to the wines of Argentina. Nicolas Catena Zapata — who took charge in 1963 — was the pioneer who introduced European winemaking techniques, promoted high-altitude viticulture, and in 1994 became the first to plant Malbec at 5,000 feet above sea level in Mendoza.

The wine named in his honor set a new standard when its inaugural 1997 vintage became the first premium cuvee from Argentina to be exported worldwide. It won a series of blind tastings against First Growth Bordeaux — Chateau Latour, Haut Brion, Opus One — and announced that South American wine had arrived at the top table. This is the wine that represents the history of Argentine Malbec.

The 2021 vintage was a cooler, dry year — as cold as 2016 but without the rain. The result is a wine that's vibrant, precise, and juicy, with clean varietal character and none of the oak showiness of earlier releases. Half the wine was aged in large foudres, the other half in concrete vats — a shift toward letting the fruit speak. The blend draws from two of Catena's flagship vineyards: Angelica in Lunlunta and Nicasia in Altamira.

In the glass, expect aromas of violets, ripe black cherries, blackberry, and a spicy touch from the oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied, plush and juicy with fine-grained tannins and a long, vibrant finish of sweet black fruit and savory spice. It's balanced, silky, and remarkably restrained for a wine of this intensity. Wine Advocate called it "clean and precise," James Suckling noted "balance is the word," and Vinous praised its shift toward primary fruit character. It's drinking beautifully now and will hold for years.

This is the wine that put Argentine Malbec on the world stage — and the 2021 shows exactly why the Catena family remains the benchmark.

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At A Glance

Varietal:
Malbec
Region:
Mendoza
Sub-Appellation:
Mendoza
Alcohol:
13.5%
Size:
750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH
Steak · Beef · Barbecue · Ribeye · Grilled Meat

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body
 
 
 
 
 
Low Acidity High Acidity
 
 
 
 
 
Soft Tannins Firm Tannins
Dry Sweet

Aromas of violets, ripe black cherries, blackberry, and a spicy touch from oak. Medium to full-bodied with plush, juicy texture and fine-grained tannins. Vibrant finish of sweet black fruit and savory spice. Balanced, silky, and remarkably restrained.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

Sweet tobacco, cigar box, berries and minerals. It gets a little zesty and citrusy on the nose. Really refined and juicy on the palate with lot of fine tannins. Silky, fluid and linear with a very elegant, soft-spoken finish. 46% cabernet sauvignon from Adrianna vineyard and 44% malbec and 10% cabernet franc from Nicasia vineyard. Really refined, long and Bordelais. This is already drinking really well, but it will hold like this for a long time. ~ 97 James Suckling

Great poise and definition in this bright 2021 with less Cabernet Franc (10%) than in previous vintages and more Malbec (44%). This make up comes through in the moreish herbal notes (thyme, oregano, rocket) that outline the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Underneath, a juicy fluidity brings in freshness and ease throughout. ~ 96 Decanter

The 2021 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc from Nicasia and Adrianna vineyards. It fermented in small oak barrels, concrete and stainless steel tanks and matured in 2,000-liter oak foudres for 18 months. It's a powerful but fresh red with 13.7% alcohol and mellow acidity, perhaps because the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked earlier (and with lower yields) and they discarded the clay soils and went more for stony plots. The wine feels more streamlined and elegant. 2021 is a cool and very good year, following the path of the 2019, and the wine shows the classical herbal and spicy character of the Bordeaux varieties with pungent notes of black peppercorns and is spicier because of the high Cabernet Franc content. ~ 96 Robert Parker' Wine Advocate

For some producers, the 2021 vintage, marked by certain rains in February that tempered the harvest temperatures in March, represents the closest thing to a Bordeaux year that can be achieved in Mendoza. In that sense, the 2021 was an ideal vintage for Bordeaux-origin varieties. This unique situation is clearly reflected in the 2021 Malbec Nicolás Vineyard, which unveils a new label for this vintage after being aged up to 21 months in French oak barrels. The wine blends 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc from Uco Valley vineyards. With a deep purple hue and a garnet tint, it opens with delicate cassis and Bordeaux-like nuances of ash, tobacco, black fruit and cherry. Expressive and compact, it features cedar notes on a long, lingering finish. ~ 96 Vinous Media

THE PRODUCER

Catena

Laura Catena was born in Mendoza, Argentina in 1967. She graduated magna cum laude in Biology from Harvard University in 1988. She has a Medical Doctor degree from Stanford University. She is managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and Luca Winery in Mendoza, Argentina. She is a practicing Pediatric Medicine physician at University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Nicolas Catena Zapata has been widely credited for elevating the status of Argentine Malbec and the Mendoza region through serious experimentation into the effects of high altitude. In 1994, he was the first to plant a Malbec vineyard at almost 1,500 m (5,000 ft) elevation in the Gualtallary sub-district of Tupungato, the Adrianna Vineyard. He developed a clonal selection of Argentine Malbec. The Catena family has been making wine in the acclaimed Mendoza region since 1902.

Catena

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