Catena Alta Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, rich beef stews
✨ Technical Specifications
Catena Alta Malbec represents a milestone in Argentine winemaking, born from Nicolás Catena Zapata's visionary quest in the 1990s to prove that high-altitude Malbec could stand alongside the world's finest collectible reds. The name 'Alta' refers to both the extreme altitudes of the family's Andean vineyards and the rigorous selection of historic rows within them. Rather than hailing from a single parcel, this wine is an artful assemblage of distinct micro-terroirs: the old-vine Angélica Vineyard, which provides lush plum notes and velvety texture; La Pirámide, offering structure and dark fruit; and the high-altitude Nicasia and Adrianna vineyards, which contribute vibrant acidity, floral aromas, and intense minerality. This pioneering multi-altitude blending technique, followed by aging in French oak barrels, yields a Malbec of extraordinary complexity, elegance, and age-worthiness.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is celebrated as the pioneer that revolutionized modern Argentine winemaking and propelled Malbec onto the international stage. Located in Mendoza, the estate was transformed in the 1980s by third-generation vintner Nicolás Catena Zapata, who boldly advanced high-altitude viticulture along the Andean foothills, highlighted by the iconic Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Today, under the stewardship of Nicolás and his daughter Dr. Laura Catena, the winery unites traditional winemaking with groundbreaking soil and climate research via the Catena Institute of Wine. The estate is globally revered for its profound, terroir-driven expressions, exemplified by flagship cuvées such as Nicolás Catena Zapata, Malbec Argentino, and the acclaimed Adrianna Vineyard parcel-specific bottlings.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Malbec
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14%