CATENA ZAPATA Nicolas Catena Zapata - Uco Valley, Mendoza 2019 Bottle (los)

Description

The 2019 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a truly captivating wine, earning 96 points from The Wine Advocate and 97 from Jane Anson. This elegant blend features 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, and 28% Cabernet Franc, resulting in a beautifully structured profile. The wine offers inviting aromas of blackcurrant, dark plum, and herbal notes, layered with hints of cedar, spice, and subtle smokiness. On the palate, it impresses with velvety, chalky tannins and a vibrant acidity that enhances its freshness. Flavours of liquorice, rosemary, and cassis resonate, culminating in a long and graceful finish. With a drinking window from 2025 to 2035, this exceptional wine promises to develop beautifully over time, showcasing the finesse and depth of the 2019 vintage.

*****

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96 points
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drink Date: 2025 - 2032
The 2019 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon from Gualtallary (Adrianna Vineyard), 30% Malbec from Altamira (Nicasia Vineyard) and a high percentage of Cabernet Franc (28%), also from Adrianna, which took the place of Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in small oak barrels, concrete and stainless steel tanks with a short post-fermentative maceration. Élevage was in first and second-use French oak barrels and lasted for 18 months, including malolactic. This is always quite classical in style, with some spiciness from the barrels and hints of smoke and toast, still very young and undeveloped. It has the traditional Bordeaux-blend character and is herbal, floral and spicy, with a beautiful texture, very nice balance and very fine, chalky tannins. 2019 was a very dry year, and the berries were small, very healthy and delivered powerful wines. It has 13.7% alcohol, mellow acidity and good freshness, reflecting a relatively cool season, and comes though as elegant, with the stuffing and balance to develop nicely over the years in bottle. 66,000 bottles were filled in January 2021.
Some of the vineyards from Catena are suffering from phylloxera, and parts of some vineyards have to be grubbed up and replanted.
Published: Nov 30, 2022

JANE ANSON 97 points
A sit up and take notice wine. Inky colour, smooth tannins, still young and crouched but already combining subtlety and confidence. On the palate, you get a wall of liquorice, crushed cardamom, rosemary, cassis, liqueur, all expertly delivered by winemaker Fernando Buscema. Sensational wine. Tasted twice, same impression each time, of a wine full of life and interest. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

VINOUS 96 points
The 2019 Nicolas Catena Zapata is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 28% Cabernet Franc from the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. Having spent 18 months in new French barrels, it’s garnet red in hue. The 2019 has a nose of cedar, expressive, dark fruit notes such as plum and blackcurrant, gentle traces of sweet spices and herbs and a hint of amaretti. Broad and velvety in the mouth with a juicy palate and a delicate tea-like texture, the grip lends essential structure. This is a subtle, complex red of long-lasting flavor to which the excellent year has brought an extra level of finesse. - Joaquín Hidalgo

JANCIS ROBINSON 17 points
Harvest was up to three weeks early in some plots. 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 28% Cabernet Franc. This represents the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc in the blend by 10% – the cooler year gave it the herbal edge desired by the winemaker. This is the second-coolest vintage of the last decade after 2016, with dramatically reduced yields.
Purple fruit and flowers give a powerful, aromatic sweetness to the nose. The palate has a graphite and dried-herb edge, which must be due to the high proportion of Cabernet Franc. Chalky and peppery through the middle, this has just the right level of edginess to make it intriguing. Layered and persistent in its floral character on the finish. (TP)

DECANTER 94 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle
(at Bordeaux, 24 Aug 2022)
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045
Richly scented on the nose. Concentrated and full on the palate, a serious wine with intention. Driving flavours of blackcurrant and black cherry with cinnamon spice and mineral saltiness abound on the palate with a touch of sweetness. Tannins are ripe and massy, plush and gently chewy but this has exceptional freshness that keeps the whole palate quite lifted and alive. Feels well worked and there is a sense of serious style to this. I like the expression - lovely nuance and finesse, the details are so appealing. Enjoy with some hearty food.