Grabbed some Nicolás? Good, cause we’re onto Catena #2 of 3!

Over $80 OFF release. Wait what? A wine sitting at $240 a bottle retail. One of the most coveted single-parcel Malbecs on the planet, and we’ve got it at $159.

The critics didn’t hold back either. A near-perfect 99 points backed by triple 98s.

Last drop, we introduced Adrianna as part of a two-agent operation; the 2021 Nicolás Catena Zapata, a blend of Adrianna and Nicasia. Today, Adrianna goes solo. If you missed the last one, that’s too bad 😉, but no worries, the single vineyard wines are here and they’re worth the wait!

Now let’s talk about where this wine comes from, because the story is as good as what’s in the glass.

Barely 6 acres. Sitting at 4,482 feet over Gualtallary, on an ancient riverbed whose terroir dates back millions of years. The ground is blanketed in oval white stones covered in calcium carbonate, which is exactly why this wine used to go by a different name. You may have known it as ‘River Stones.’ Same parcel. Same magic. Newer name.

Why are these rocks so special? And why does it matter in my wine? Think of it as the ultimate survivor Show challenge; extreme heat by day, dramatic temperature drops by night, sometimes 30-40 degrees. The vines have nowhere to hide. Those large oval white stones work like the famous galets roulés of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, absorbing the intense heat by day, slowly radiating that warmth back through the night, protecting the vines. But unlike the Rhône, at 4,482 feet, the nights are brutally frigid. Once that stored heat is gone, the stones turn cold, cooling the soil beneath, and the whole cycle starts again. Day after day. Season after season. Nature provides the tension. The winemaker preserves it.

Our take… Pinot Noir lovers, take notice. Floral and lifted right out of the gate with violets, lavender, and fresh herbs lead the charge. Then it opens up showcasing blackberry, ripe plum, a hint of sage, sorrel, and black tea threading through the mid-palate. The texture is taut and mineral, chalky tension running underneath everything. Deceptively powerful for something so graceful. If Chambolle-Musigny and the Andes ever had a conversation, this wine would be it. The tannins are tense with more grip than a Pinot Noir, BUT nothing like a Cabernet Sauvignon. The high elevation drives a fresh, bright acidity that keeps everything in perfect balance. The finish is focused and unwaveringly long. It’s Malbec with a Côte de Nuits soul. Born in the Andes.

Multiple critics reach for Pinot Noir as the closest comparison. Floral, precise, mineral, ethereal. That’s no accident. Laura Catena, Managing Director, co-owner, high-altitude obsessive, set the mission. Alejandro Vigil executed it in the cellar. Burgundian practices were adopted deliberately with whole cluster fermentation, more punch-downs, and one directive: Let the terroir speak, not the grape! At 13.6% alcohol, this is elegance, not power. Nuance, not muscle. Pure and breathtakingly elegant.

100% Malbec, aged 18-21 months in large-format old French oak foudres. The wood is there to protect, not to perform. Shows with beautiful aromatics still intact ‘at the close.’ (We see you, Harry Potter.)

This is the kind of wine that collectors lose sleep over. At $159, we’re not going to make it easier either.

One more drop. You’ve waited long enough. Nicasia is next. Stay on mission.

99 Points - James Sucking “Probably the most austere among the three Adrianna Vineyard Malbecs. Arresting nose already, with a touch of white pepper to the deep black and blue fruit. Huge depth and profoundness, but at the same time it is so fresh. The difference is more obvious on the palate if you compare this with the Mundus Bacillus Terrae and Fortuna Terrae bottlings. This shows the claws of the mineral tannins, which are a little less fleshy than Mundus, but with more tension. Seamless, taut and long. Drink from 2026.”

98 Points – Wine Advocate “The 2022 Adrianna Vineyard Malbec River squarely occupies the most ethereal, lifted and weightless expression of Malbec in the Catena Zapata roster. It opens with a floral, lively and open-knit bouquet that hints at the stony, mineral-tinged tension to follow on the palate. In the mouth, it displays a taut, spry and gently succulent texture that is deceptively rich and powerful despite its nimble nature, releasing into a persistent, long and unwaveringly focused finish. This is a perfect counterpoint to the more robust Malbec Mundus Bacillus Terrae bottling and will appeal to readers seeking nuance and minerality above all else. Drink 2025-2042.”

98 Points – Descorchados “A delicate version of River, which used to be the most robust and succulent of Adrianna’s Single Vineyards. But times have long since changed and here there are flowers and red fruits and herbal notes (more than usual, we think) in a medium body with firm tannins. Juicy and fruity flavors predominate, marked by fresh and vibrant acidity. This Malbec comes from a section of the vineyard rich in calcium-covered gravel, in what was once a riverbed, now dry, located in the Adrianna Vineyard. Viña Catena began planting in the first half of the 1990s, in Gualtallary, 1,360 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Andes. This is the first year that it was not aged in oak, only concrete, and was fermented with 100% whole clusters in addition to a very delicate maceration.”

98 Points – Vinous “Catena Zapata is the quintessential ambassador of Argentine wine on the international stage. Today, Laura Catena, Nicolás’s daughter, leads the operation with a distinguished team, including Alejandro Vigil in the winery and Fernando Buscema at the Catena Institute of Wine. Together, they take a science-driven approach, crafting renowned parcel wines that embody the unique character of high-elevation viticulture. The 2022 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard River was aged for up to 21 months in French oak barrels. This was sourced from a terroir-driven plot, planted in 1992 in Gualtallary, Tupungato, on an old riverbed. The aromas reveal blackberry and ripe plum, with hints of grass, cherry, arugula, lavender and sage, complemented by black tea and herbal tension. This raw Malbec features chalky intensity and a fine, compact expression. It is well defined and exhibits a reductive character, making it quite intriguing. This very seductive and long-lasting high-elevation Malbec evokes the elegance of a Pinot Noir. Drink 2025-2045.”