With its inaugural 1997 vintage, Nicolás Catena Zapata 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. Prephylloxeric Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon massale selections of ungrafted vines give rise to this wine, opening a window to the past from the mountain vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina.

The summer of 2019 started with warmer than usual temperatures and then cooled off in February. Decreased snow in the winter months resulted in water shortages which led to overall yields being down 20-30%. The lack of summer rains resulted in perfectly healthy grapes. The big scare of the season came on March 19th, 2020, when the Argentine government declared an obligatory quarantine and we feared that harvest would have to stop with some of our best grapes still on the vine. Late in the day, an order exempting wine as an essential food product came through, allowing us to continue harvesting through the first week of April. Strict social distancing and other necessary precautions were put in place and all office personnel moved to working from home. The winery was closed to visitors a few days prior. Winemakers can’t remember an earlier harvest year. The cool climate areas at extreme high altitude in the Uco Valley are yielding beautifully concentrated wines with intense aromatics, optimal texture and structure, and high acidity (healthy levels of malic acid). Head winemaker Alejandro Vigil calls it one of the best vintages of the last 10 years.

The harvest is done by hand and the fermentation takes place in small oak barrels, concrete and stainless-steel tanks, at temperatures of 26-28ºC for about 10-15 days. The post-fermentative maceration lasts between 5 and 10 days. The wine carries out the malolactic fermentation and is then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. At the end of our winter Dr. Nicolás Catena Zapata oversees the final blend before bottling.