Malbec Nicasia Vineyard Consulta
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 8–20 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb shoulder, venison stew
✨ Technical Specifications
The Nicasia Vineyard, situated in the southern Uco Valley sub-district of La Consulta at an elevation of 1,095 meters, is named in honor of Nicolás Catena Zapata's beloved grandmother. This legendary site is planted with the family's proprietary selection of historic, pre-phylloxera Malbec cuttings, which thrive in the vineyard's poor, gravelly soils. The extreme diurnal temperature variation of La Consulta slows ripening, allowing the grapes to develop thick skins rich in polyphenols. The resulting wine is a masterclass in power and elegance, characterized by intense dark berry fruit, violet aromatics, and a distinct mineral backbone. Fermented in French oak foudres and barrels using native yeasts, and aged for up to 18 months, this single-vineyard bottling represents the pinnacle of high-altitude Argentine Malbec, showcasing exceptional structural complexity and longevity.
🍾 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
13.5-14.5%