Catena Zapata Catena Malbec 2022

Cellar for up to 7 years. No need to decant before serving. The Catenas are Argentina’s most famous winemaking family thanks to the vision of Nicholas Catena Zapata who helped put the country on the map for high altitude Malbec. The Catenas have been making wine in Argentina since 1902 and the family estate is currently run by the fourth generation of the family, Laura Catena, who has exhaustively studied Mendoza’s unique terroir to produce the very best wines possible. Grapes for this wine are sourced from three high altitude vineyards set at the foot of the magnificent Andes Mountains. Lunlunta sits at 920 metres above sea level, El Cepillo at 1090 metres, and Gualtallary at 1450 metres. These unique conditions help grapes to reach optimum maturity without losing their natural freshness and aromatic character. In the winery the grapes are macerated for several days and the juice is then fermented using wild yeasts. The young wine ages for 12 months in oak barrels with the exact type of barrel used depending on what will best suit the particular vintage and vineyard plot. The result is a luscious, fruit-forward Malbec with ample dark fruit character, soft and ripe tannins, and a very long finish.

Price: £14.45 from 8wines UK