Alta Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2032
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Catena Alta Merlot is a testament to the Catena family's pioneering spirit in high-altitude viticulture. In the late 20th century, when many believed Merlot could not achieve greatness in the extreme terroirs of Mendoza, Nicolás Catena Zapata set out to prove otherwise. Sourced from select historic rows in the high-altitude Nicasia and Angélica vineyards, this wine benefits from intense mountain sunlight and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts. These extreme conditions allow the Merlot grapes to ripen slowly, preserving vibrant acidity and developing deep, complex flavors. The wine is crafted using traditional, low-intervention methods, including fermentation with wild yeasts and aging in French oak barrels. The result is a refined, structured Merlot that defies regional stereotypes, offering a beautiful balance of dark fruit, herbal nuances, and elegant minerality.
🍾 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
Merlot
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14.5%