Adrianna Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, rich venison stew
✨ Technical Specifications
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.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is celebrated as the pioneer that revolutionized modern Argentine winemaking and propelled Malbec onto the international stage. Located in Mendoza, the estate was transformed in the 1980s by third-generation vintner Nicolás Catena Zapata, who boldly advanced high-altitude viticulture along the Andean foothills, highlighted by the iconic Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Today, under the stewardship of Nicolás and his daughter Dr. Laura Catena, the winery unites traditional winemaking with groundbreaking soil and climate research via the Catena Institute of Wine. The estate is globally revered for its profound, terroir-driven expressions, exemplified by flagship cuvées such as Nicolás Catena Zapata, Malbec Argentino, and the acclaimed Adrianna Vineyard parcel-specific bottlings.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Malbec
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14.5%