2007 Catena Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Catena Malbec is a true red wine gem showing off the beauty and complexity of the Malbec grape. In the words of Jay Miller of Wine Advocate, "Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference – the standard of excellence for comparing all others." He rated this wine 91+ points; Wine Spectator also chimed in with a 91-point rating and Steven Tanzer gave it 90 points. The highly acclaimed Catena Zapata winery is still led by the brilliant Nicolas Catena, with his daughter Laura taking on an expanding role. Nicola Catena founded the family winery after sailing from Italy to Argentina in 1898 and planting his first Malbec grapes in 1902. While Malbec was a mere blending grape in Bordeaux, Nicola always believed Malbec could flourish in the Andes and would one day come to rival any first-growth Bordeaux. His son Domingo carried on this dream and ultimately Domingo's son Nicolas fulfilled their quest by producing some of the world's top-rated red wines. One crowning victory came in 2000, when the 1997 Nicolás Catena Zapata, a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, was compared blind to Château Latour, Haut Brion, Solaia, Caymus and Opus One in a series of tastings across Europe and the US. The Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997 came in either first or second in every tasting!

Catena Malbec is deep crimson in color with an alluring nose and rich flavors of black cherry, fig, mocha, boysenberry, cedar, lavender, vanilla and sweet spice notes. Medium-full in body, it has a silky texture with creamy tannins and a long, velvety finish. The grapes for this wine are sourced from the Altamira, La Pirámide, Adrianna and Angelica vineyards. The wine was aged for 12 months in 70% French oak, 20% new, and 30% new American oak. It can be enjoyed now but will continue to improve with age for another 4-6 years.

Enjoy Catena Malbec with grilled steak, roast beef, BBQ ribs, rich vegetable dishes and sharp cheeses.