Zapata

This esteemed wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet and 20% Malbec that head winemaker Alejandro Vigil aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak and then for an additional 24 months in the bottle. The wine was sourced from high elevation vineyards (La Piramide, Domingo, Adrianna and Nicasia) and some of the choicest fruit selected by the winemaker. The resultant wine is completely stunning. There are rich aromas of anise, crème de cassis, coffee grounds, violets, rose petals and suggestions of leather. On the palate the wine brings dense flavors reminiscent of creme de cassis, blueberry pie, anise, mocha, spicebox, sandalwood and a graphite edge. Even more expressive and irresistible after a one hour decant, the silky texture of this red blend is bordering ethereal. This is every bit as good as the absolutely exceptional 2010, showing similar range and viscosity. There is little doubt this excellent blend will age gracefully for decades, but is completely impossible to resist at this juncture. (Best 2016-2030) - August, 2016 (OB)

The 2011 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Malbec sourced from a diversity of vineyards and zones, La Piramide, Domingo, Adrianna and Nicasia. I found pungent aromas of leather, cured meat and fountain pen ink and even tempera paint that were reminiscent of many classic Bordeaux wines. The palate feels quite dry and has a grainy texture. It needs food.

Lækker, kraftig og saft ig. Velstruktureret, tæt, flot, mørk rødvinsbombe med dyb, kompleks smag af solbær, brombær, skovbær, urter, toast og vanilje.

...man fornemmer slægtskabet mellem det argentinske hus og Château Lafite Rothschild... giv den fem eller ti år i kælderen og vent på, at fadpræget trækker sig tilbage, så vil oplevelsen formentlig være mange gange større... Fascinerende dyb, rødsort farve med violette kanter. Voldsom næse med frisk syre, viol, hindbær og vanilje fra fadet. Smagen er voldsom og byder på masser af brombær, roser, sort peber og et strejf af kanel i et saftigt, sødmefyldt men også tanninrigt smagsbillede, som hænger meget længe i munden.

(an 80/20 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec): Bright ruby. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, minerals, violet and bitter chocolate show very good lift but also a youthfully serious medicinal aspect. Densely packed, fresh and broad but youthfully unforthcoming today, showing little in the way of easy sweetness. The medicinal black cherry flavors come across as distinctly cool owing to complicating notes of mint, licorice and herbs. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that will require patience. This Cabernet-based wine is much tighter and more austere than the 2011 Malbec Argentino.

Lemony oak sits atop a heady bouquet supported by woody, baked-berry aromas. This is fresh and fast-moving across the palate, with rooty, toasty flavors of baked black fruits. A peppery, toasty, chocolaty finish is solid, dense and layered. Drink through 2021.

First launched with the 1997 vintage, this is Catena's most ambitious red blend. It's based on 80 percent cabernet sauvignon grown in La Pirámide, the vineyard surrounding the Mayan pyramid-shaped winery, in Agrelo; the rest is Malbec from high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley. Generous in spice scents, with an accent on black pepper and cinnamon notes, it's seductively profound, with sweet, ripe fruit flavors supported by refined tannins. Graceful now, it will gain complexity with five years or more in the cellar.

Taut and muscular, with concentrated flavors of mocha, roasted plum and Asian spice. Black olive and French roast notes enliven the finish, showing plenty of dark chocolate details. Drink now through 2019.-K.M.