Adrianna Malbec
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–20 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, rich venison stew
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Adrianna Vineyard, planted in 1992 in the Gualtallary sub-district of Tupungato, stands as a monument to Nicolás Catena Zapata's defiance of conventional winemaking wisdom. At nearly 5,000 feet above sea level, critics initially warned him that grapes would never ripen in such extreme mountain cold. Instead, the intense high-altitude sunlight and limestone-rich, gravelly soils yielded Malbec of unprecedented complexity, structure, and mineral-driven acidity. Named after his youngest daughter, this vineyard produces Malbecs defined by their deep violet hue, floral aromas of lavender and violet, and a distinctive chalky minerality. The winemaking emphasizes parcel-specific wild yeast fermentations and aging in French oak, capturing the wild, untamed spirit of the Andean frontier.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, the historic Catena Zapata estate is located in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, and remains family-owned under the visionary leadership of Nicolás Catena Zapata and his daughter Laura. Renowned for pioneering high-altitude viticulture in the Andean foothills, the winery revolutionized Argentine winemaking by proving that world-class, age-worthy wines could be produced from extreme mountain terroirs. Their production philosophy focuses on meticulous parcel selection and soil-specific micro-vinifications, particularly within the acclaimed Adrianna Vineyard. Catena Zapata is celebrated globally for its profound, structured red wines, most notably its flagship Bordeaux-style blend, Nicolás Catena Zapata, and the highly expressive, mineral-driven Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec.