High Mountain Vines Malbec
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, beef empanadas
✨ Technical Specifications
The Catena High Mountain Vines Malbec is a landmark wine that represents Argentina's viticultural revolution. In the late 20th century, Nicolás Catena Zapata challenged conventional wisdom by planting vines at extreme altitudes in the Andean foothills, where many believed grapes would never ripen. This bottling is a masterclass in high-altitude blending, sourcing fruit from select family estate vineyards at varying elevations—including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. Each vineyard site contributes a unique dimension: lower elevations offer rich, ripe plum and dark fruit flavors, while the extreme heights yield intense floral aromatics, vibrant acidity, and fine-grained tannins. The wine undergoes cold maceration and is aged in French oak barrels, resulting in a beautifully balanced, expressive representation of Mendoza's unique terroir.
🍾 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
Malbec
🍷 ABV
13.5-14%