Angelica Zapata Cabernet Franc Alta
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release, as its robust tannins soften and complex tertiary notes develop.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ Technical Specifications
Named in honor of Angélica Zapata, the remarkable matriarch of the Catena family who instilled a legacy of relentless education and excellence, this wine is a testament to the family's pioneering spirit. Sourced from high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, particularly the historic La Pirámide vineyard in Agrelo, this Cabernet Franc benefits from intense mountain sunlight and cool alpine nights. This unique microclimate allows the grape to develop its signature complexity, balancing ripe red currant and cassis fruit with sophisticated notes of eucalyptus, black pepper, and sweet spice. Aged in French oak barrels, it represents a refined, structured, and deeply expressive Argentine interpretation of a classic Bordeaux variety, showcasing the remarkable potential of high-altitude Cabernet Franc.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is the preeminent pioneer of modern Argentine viticulture. In the 1980s and 1990s, third-generation visionary Nicolás Catena Zapata revolutionized the domestic industry by venturing into extreme high-altitude Andean terroirs, most notably planting the famed Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary at nearly 1,500 meters above sea level. Today directed by Dr. Laura Catena and celebrated winemaking director Alejandro Vigil, the estate pairs rigorous micro-terroir research through the Catena Institute of Wine with precision viticulture across alluvial, limestone-laced gravel soils. Fermentations frequently incorporate whole clusters and indigenous yeasts, vinified in concrete, oak foudres, and French barriques to preserve freshness, structural nuance, and site-specific tension. Benchmark bottlings such as the flagship Nicolás Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, and Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay stand as global archetypes of high-elevation South American fine wine.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Franc
🍷 ABV
13.5-14.5%