Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, rich venison stew
✨ Technical Specifications
Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon represents a landmark in Argentine viticulture, born from Nicolás Catena's pioneering vision in the 1990s to prove that Mendoza's high-altitude terroirs could produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon capable of rivaling the finest of Bordeaux and Napa. The name 'Alta' refers to the historic, high-altitude rows within the family's estate vineyards—primarily the La Pir amide Vineyard in Luj an de Cuyo and the Nicasia and El Cepillo vineyards in the Uco Valley. Grown at elevations where intense mountain sunlight thickens the grape skins and cool Andean nights preserve vibrant acidity, this wine undergoes meticulous lot selection. It is aged in French oak barrels, resulting in a Cabernet of remarkable complexity, characterized by dark fruit, subtle mineral notes of graphite, and a refined, ageworthy structure that honors the family's multi-generational heritage.
🍾 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 Sauvignon
🍷 ABV
13.5-14%