Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Catena Alta
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted leg of lamb, rosemary-infused venison
✨ Technical Specifications
In the early 1990s, Nicolás Catena Zapata set out to prove that Mendoza's high-altitude terroirs could produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, defying the local skepticism of the era. The 'Catena Alta' designation, meaning 'High Catena', represents a meticulous selection of historic rows from the family's premier high-altitude estate vineyards, most notably the La Pirámide vineyard in Agrelo. This specific terroir, characterized by clay-rich soils and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts, allows the grapes to ripen slowly while preserving vital acidity. The resulting wine is aged in French oak, yielding a sophisticated profile that beautifully marries ripe dark fruit with savory notes of cedar, tobacco, and eucalyptus, standing as a testament to the family's pioneering vision of Andean viticulture.
🍾 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%