Cabernet Franc Appellation San Carlos
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
roasted lamb, grilled ribeye steak, roasted duck
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Hailing from the cold, high-altitude terroir of San Carlos in the southern Uco Valley, Catena Zapata's Appellation San Carlos Cabernet Franc is a testament to the family's pioneering spirit in exploring Mendoza's diverse microclimates. San Carlos, situated at over 1,000 meters above sea level, is defined by its dramatic diurnal temperature shifts and sandy loam soils layered with calcium carbonate. This extreme climate slows ripening, allowing the Cabernet Franc grape to develop intense aromatic complexity—marked by fresh red currants, eucalyptus, and black pepper—while maintaining a vibrant, crisp acidity. The Catena family, who revolutionized Argentine viticulture, treats this wine with the same meticulous care as their flagship bottlings, utilizing wild yeasts and aging in French oak to craft a refined, mineral-driven expression of Cabernet Franc that challenges the traditional dominance of Malbec in the region.
🍾 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.