Catena Zapata
About Catena Zapata
Nicolas Catena is the man known for revolutionizing Argentine wine in the 1980s, introducing the world to Malbec. A pioneer of high-altitude Malbec in Argentina, Catena Zapata was the first to venture into the wild and unknown vineyard area called Gualtallary in Mendoza. After more than 100 years of winemaking history, the family estate is now in the hands of Laura Catena.
Viniculture
While some prefer the European style of Malbec from the Adrianna vineyard; others prefer the more powerful style from Nicasia. Then there are those who sit on the fence (or perhaps, prefer the balance) and enjoy the blend of both Adrianna and Nicasia vineyards, in the Argentino.
The Nicolas Catena cuvée is named after the man himself who is probably more responsible than anyone else for the superb reputation the wines of Argentina enjoy in the fine wine world today. With its inaugural 1997 vintage, Nicolas Catena became the first luxury cuvée from Argentina to be exported around the world. The wine recreates the “Original Bordeaux Blend” of the 18th and 19th Centuries, when Malbec dominated over Merlot and was in equal standing to Cabernet Sauvignon in the Médoc.
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Prices:
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Mendoza | 2 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$531.70 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)(from a late-ripening vineyard in Tupungato planted at an altitude of 4,725 feet) Saturated bright ruby. Brooding aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, violet and pepper. Wonderfully lush and creamy, with uncommon intensity to its sweet blackberry fruit; some superripe notes are leavened by peppery lift on the very long and vibrant back end, which features wonderfully suave tannins and restrained sweetness. This is more high-pitched today than the Nicasia Vineyard bottling but perhaps a bit less harmonious; with 24 hours in the recorked bottle, though, it only gained in vibrancy. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 92+ (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$593.83 |
|||||
Vinous (92+)Full ruby-red. Musky dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the brooding nose, with a strong kirsch note emerging with aeration. Powerful and deep but youthfully closed, with terrific grip to the flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and minerals. Quite closed and young today, but with its fine-grained tannins and slowly building persistence this single-vineyard malbec appears to be built for a positive evolution in bottle. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. GST
SG$931.38 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)No note available. |
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|
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Mendoza | 20 | 98 (JA) |
Inc. GST
SG$529.54 |
|||||
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)Let the aromatics slowly unfurl out of the glass, really give it time. Crushed raspberries and tobacco, fresh flowers, salty crackers, oyster shell. The weight, the texture, the acidity are all in balance, playing off each other, and this is just a wonderful wine that stops you in your tracks. Located at 1,450m, from a 1.4ha limestone plot, particularly rich in microorganisms (as we learnt through their brilliant recent terroir studies). It's a place where phenolic ripeness happens slowly and the complexity builds as a result. A spring frost reduced yields by about 20%, fermented with 50% whole cluster between concrete vats and oak casks. 4800 bottles produced. |
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|
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Mendoza | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$454.33 |
|||||
James Suckling (100)This is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 2 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. GST
SG$440.88 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)The 2010 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is a blend of grapes from Adrianna and Nicasia, from the deepest, coolest soils in those vineyards, in Gualtallary and Altamira. They were looking for something that represents the essence of Malbec. The first vintage for this wine was 2004, when they finally found the blend and character they were looking for. The name they wanted to use for the wine was Malbec Puro, but they didn’t want any confusion with cigars, so they called it Malbec Argentino instead! It is very aromatic with floral notes, mainly violets and blue fruit, and is nicely defined. It is opulent with sweet tannins but with the hallmark of the freshness found in all the wines from those two vineyards, precise and long. Drink 2015-2020. |
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|
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Mendoza | 19 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$470.31 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Very dense and powerful with a tight palate of blue fruit and raspberry undertones. Salty with wonderful length and intensity. A blend of malbec from Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira and Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Drink in 2022 but so great now. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$366.76 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)This is made from over 100-year-old vineyards and offers blackberries with blue fruit and dark chocolate. Shows bark and black truffle undertones, too. Tight and more focused than in past vintages. The quality of the tannins is more precise and fine. Blackberries and black truffles at the end. Drink or hold. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 1 | - |
Inc. GST
SG$442.32 |
|||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. GST
SG$381.30 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)The 2013 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard is produced with grapes from the vineyard that names it--a vineyard planted in 1997 in the Altamira zone of Valle de Uco. It's mostly Malbec with some 4% Cabernet Franc, but the two grapes fermented together. It has less Cabernet Franc than other years because 2013 was fresh enough that just that pinch provided enough of the character they are looking for. They call this the most Malbec of our Malbecs and it has the textbook aromas of violets and red berries with perfectly integrated oak. The palate is also elegant and fresh and showcases the telltale round tannins of Malbec. This is truly outstanding. Some 8,000 bottles were filled in December 2015. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 12 | 93+ (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$411.82 |
|||||
Vinous (93+)Bright medium ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the nose. Far tighter and less sweet than the 2014 version; a more minerally and linear version of Malbec that lacks the expansiveness of the '14. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and terrific length. A bit less ripe--and more green--than the 2014, with tighter tannins. A bit of a question mark owing to its serious tannic spine, this wine would appear to offer excellent potential longevity but it will require patience. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$355.86 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)A big, rich red with blackberry, chocolate, toasted oak, peat and flowers. It’s full-bodied and layered and very flavorful in the finish. Still very youthful, but shows tension and focus. Drink or hold. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 3 | 97 (DC) |
Inc. GST
SG$275.57 |
|||||
Decanter (97)The 2016 vintage is a classic example, a superb blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 31% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc that’s still in its infancy. Subdued aromas of cassis, black cherries and nuanced herbaceous and tobacco notes. A lovely fluid entrance builds on concentration and complexity. Malbec’s seductive juiciness joins a vertical Cabernet structure, tannins and integrated oak, with a long, lingering finish. A wine to wait for. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JA) |
Inc. GST
SG$316.62 |
|||||
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)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. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 6 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$682.43 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)This has a complex nose of baked blackberries, grilled plums, dried earth, moss, pine cones, sandalwood, charcoal and cloves. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Wow. So much going on. Layered, seamless and silky. Incredible length. Keeps going. 42% cabernet sauvignon, 30% malbec and 28% cabernet franc. Try this from 2024. |
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|
|
Mendoza | 2 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. GST
SG$370.06 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Honeysuckle, ripe pear and some dried apple. So perfumed. Full-bodied with incredible intensity and length. So much green-apple character and lots of flowers. Dried mango, too. The touch of flor growth in the barrel gives this unique character. Goes on for minutes on the finish. Endless, vibrant acidity. Minerally texture. Drink now or hold. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Mendoza | 2 | 94+ (VN) |
In Bond
SG$468.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)(from a late-ripening vineyard in Tupungato planted at an altitude of 4,725 feet) Saturated bright ruby. Brooding aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, violet and pepper. Wonderfully lush and creamy, with uncommon intensity to its sweet blackberry fruit; some superripe notes are leavened by peppery lift on the very long and vibrant back end, which features wonderfully suave tannins and restrained sweetness. This is more high-pitched today than the Nicasia Vineyard bottling but perhaps a bit less harmonious; with 24 hours in the recorked bottle, though, it only gained in vibrancy. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 92+ (VN) |
In Bond
SG$525.00 |
|||||
Vinous (92+)Full ruby-red. Musky dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the brooding nose, with a strong kirsch note emerging with aeration. Powerful and deep but youthfully closed, with terrific grip to the flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and minerals. Quite closed and young today, but with its fine-grained tannins and slowly building persistence this single-vineyard malbec appears to be built for a positive evolution in bottle. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
SG$836.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)No note available. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 20 | 98 (JA) |
In Bond
SG$468.00 |
|||||
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)Let the aromatics slowly unfurl out of the glass, really give it time. Crushed raspberries and tobacco, fresh flowers, salty crackers, oyster shell. The weight, the texture, the acidity are all in balance, playing off each other, and this is just a wonderful wine that stops you in your tracks. Located at 1,450m, from a 1.4ha limestone plot, particularly rich in microorganisms (as we learnt through their brilliant recent terroir studies). It's a place where phenolic ripeness happens slowly and the complexity builds as a result. A spring frost reduced yields by about 20%, fermented with 50% whole cluster between concrete vats and oak casks. 4800 bottles produced. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$399.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (100)This is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 2 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
SG$386.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)The 2010 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is a blend of grapes from Adrianna and Nicasia, from the deepest, coolest soils in those vineyards, in Gualtallary and Altamira. They were looking for something that represents the essence of Malbec. The first vintage for this wine was 2004, when they finally found the blend and character they were looking for. The name they wanted to use for the wine was Malbec Puro, but they didn’t want any confusion with cigars, so they called it Malbec Argentino instead! It is very aromatic with floral notes, mainly violets and blue fruit, and is nicely defined. It is opulent with sweet tannins but with the hallmark of the freshness found in all the wines from those two vineyards, precise and long. Drink 2015-2020. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 19 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$413.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Very dense and powerful with a tight palate of blue fruit and raspberry undertones. Salty with wonderful length and intensity. A blend of malbec from Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira and Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Drink in 2022 but so great now. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$318.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)This is made from over 100-year-old vineyards and offers blackberries with blue fruit and dark chocolate. Shows bark and black truffle undertones, too. Tight and more focused than in past vintages. The quality of the tannins is more precise and fine. Blackberries and black truffles at the end. Drink or hold. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | - |
In Bond
SG$386.00 |
|||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
SG$332.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)The 2013 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard is produced with grapes from the vineyard that names it--a vineyard planted in 1997 in the Altamira zone of Valle de Uco. It's mostly Malbec with some 4% Cabernet Franc, but the two grapes fermented together. It has less Cabernet Franc than other years because 2013 was fresh enough that just that pinch provided enough of the character they are looking for. They call this the most Malbec of our Malbecs and it has the textbook aromas of violets and red berries with perfectly integrated oak. The palate is also elegant and fresh and showcases the telltale round tannins of Malbec. This is truly outstanding. Some 8,000 bottles were filled in December 2015. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 12 | 93+ (VN) |
In Bond
SG$360.00 |
|||||
Vinous (93+)Bright medium ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the nose. Far tighter and less sweet than the 2014 version; a more minerally and linear version of Malbec that lacks the expansiveness of the '14. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and terrific length. A bit less ripe--and more green--than the 2014, with tighter tannins. A bit of a question mark owing to its serious tannic spine, this wine would appear to offer excellent potential longevity but it will require patience. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$308.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)A big, rich red with blackberry, chocolate, toasted oak, peat and flowers. It’s full-bodied and layered and very flavorful in the finish. Still very youthful, but shows tension and focus. Drink or hold. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 3 | 97 (DC) |
In Bond
SG$235.00 |
|||||
Decanter (97)The 2016 vintage is a classic example, a superb blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 31% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc that’s still in its infancy. Subdued aromas of cassis, black cherries and nuanced herbaceous and tobacco notes. A lovely fluid entrance builds on concentration and complexity. Malbec’s seductive juiciness joins a vertical Cabernet structure, tannins and integrated oak, with a long, lingering finish. A wine to wait for. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JA) |
In Bond
SG$272.00 |
|||||
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)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. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 6 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$608.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)This has a complex nose of baked blackberries, grilled plums, dried earth, moss, pine cones, sandalwood, charcoal and cloves. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tightly knit tannins. Wow. So much going on. Layered, seamless and silky. Incredible length. Keeps going. 42% cabernet sauvignon, 30% malbec and 28% cabernet franc. Try this from 2024. |
|||||||||
|
|
Mendoza | 2 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
SG$323.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Honeysuckle, ripe pear and some dried apple. So perfumed. Full-bodied with incredible intensity and length. So much green-apple character and lots of flowers. Dried mango, too. The touch of flor growth in the barrel gives this unique character. Goes on for minutes on the finish. Endless, vibrant acidity. Minerally texture. Drink now or hold. |
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