Malbec Nicasia
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–20 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, slow-braised beef short ribs
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Nicasia Vineyard Malbec is a profound tribute to Nicasia Catena, the beloved grandmother of Nicolás Catena Zapata, who helped establish the family's winemaking legacy in Mendoza. Situated in the southern reaches of the Uco Valley within the prestigious Paraje Altamira district, this vineyard sits at an extreme altitude of nearly 1,100 meters above sea level. Here, the vines dig deep into very poor, shallow soils composed of large gravels mixed with calcareous limestone. The combination of intense high-altitude sunlight and cool mountain nights slows ripening, allowing the Malbec grapes to develop remarkably thick skins, deep concentration, and vibrant natural acidity. Micro-vinified in French oak barrels and aged meticulously, this single-vineyard bottling is celebrated for its complex aromatic profile of dark berries, violets, and graphite, supported by a finely chiseled, mineral-driven structure that defines the pinnacle of Argentine terroir.
🍾 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.