Alta Merlot
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 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.