Angelica Zapata Merlot Alta
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–12 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck breast, grilled lamb chops, rosemary-infused beef tenderloin
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Ang lica Zapata line pays tribute to the matriarch of the Catena family, Ang lica Zapata, a dedicated educator who instilled a relentless pursuit of excellence in her son, Nicols Catena Zapata. Sourced from premier high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, including the historic Ang lica Vineyard in Lunlunta and La Pirmide in Agrelo, this Merlot benefits from extreme diurnal temperature shifts. The intense mountain sunlight thickens the grape skins, yielding deep color and structured tannins, while the cool alpine nights preserve natural acidity. Aged in French oak barrels, this wine represents a sophisticated, highly structured Argentine expression of Merlot, combining ripe black fruit characteristics with elegant spice and mineral undertones.
🍾 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.