Malbecs Aren’t Argentina’s Only Great Wines Anymore
Bodegas Catena Zapata
Everyone recognizes Argentina for producing great Malbecs, but currently there are many varietals coming from Argentina that offer great values as well as fine wines capable of aging.
The best-known and most-awarded winery in Argentina is Bodegas Catena Zapata. Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec in Mendoza in 1902. In 1982, his grandson, Nicolas Catena Zapata, inspired by the surge in popularity of wines from the Napa Valley, decided he wanted to set the standards higher for the Catena wines, using the right varietals in the right locations, in specifically cooler higher elevations. Nicolas is credited with putting wines from Argentina on the world’s map.
Ten years later, Catena was the only Argentine winery to be named among 175 wineries worldwide in Robert Parker’s book, “The World’s Greatest Wine Estates.”
Laura Catena is a fourth-generation Argentinian vintner, physician, and author who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and earned a medical degree from Stanford. To add to her accomplishments, Laura joined her father and is managing director of Bodegas Catena Zapata as well as Luca Winery. Laura spent her time between Mendoza and San Francisco, where she was an emergency-room physician.
The Luca winery was started by Laura. From traveling through Europe with her father, she fell in love with the European obsession of old vines. She started Luca with the goal of preserving old-vine Malbec vineyards, as well as new wines such as high-altitude Pinot Noir. Laura found small family plots of old-vine Malbec in the Uco Valley to make her wines.
CATENA MALBEC: This classic Malbec is made from four unique vineyard sites. It has intense aromas, soft texture, and concentrated flavors. It features a rich mouthfeel, great freshness, flavors of blueberries and blackberries, with a touch of leather and cinnamon. It has bright acidity and flinty minerality that gives an exceptional length to the finish. Pair with sweet barbecue dishes, and grilled meat, sausage, and tuna. This wine also pairs nicely with mushroom or sausage pizza.
CATENA CHARDONNAY: This is a fresh, beautiful wine with creamy texture and lovely fruit flavors of honey, pear, citrus, peaches, and white flowers. It is fresh and clean with excellent acidity. Pair with poultry dishes or rich seafood such as shrimp and herb risotto.
CATENA CHARDONNAY ALTA: One of Catena’s super premium Chardonnays, the Alta Chardonnay is sourced from the Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000-feet elevation, and Domingo, which is at 3,700 feet. The Adrianna’s pebbled soil and cool climate are ideal for growing Chardonnay. The fruit has plenty of minerality with the aromas of peach and pear; it is rich and concentrated with apple and apricot. It has a complex finish with crisp minerality. Pair with chicken, seafood, or light dishes.
CATENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON: This wine shows a dark ruby color with violet tones. On the nose, it offers intense aromas of raspberry and cassis, with notes of pepper, clove, and a touch of cedar. On the palate, it is full-bodied and rich, and has layers of black currant and black raspberry. This Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant wine with silky tannins that provides structure and a long, persistent finish. Pair with red meats such as steak or lamb, demi-glace sauces, or with steak frites.
LUCA MALBEC: This is the first winery to bottle old-vine Malbec, high-altitude Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Uco Valley. It has a deep purple color and loads of spice with black and red cherry aromas. This is a full palate with notes of chocolate, lovely acidity, and an incredibly long finish. Pair with venison, wild game, steak, pork, quail, lamb, and medium strong cheese.
LUCA CHARDONNAY: A beautiful wine with a pale golden color, aromas of lemon crème, baking spices, and minerality finish. The flavors are peach, spice, baked pear, and a stony/mineral flavor. Pair with fish, crab, and chicken, as well as dishes with sautéed mushrooms or butter sauce.
LUCA PINOT NOIR: Beautiful garnet color, this is a complex Pinot Noir with notes of cherry, raspberry, leather, dried thyme, and spice. This wine’s Burgundian style makes it one of Argentina’s leading and highest-regarded Pinot Noirs. It pairs well with lamb chops, grilled salmon, roasted duck, chicken, and game birds.
The Catena and Luca wines have set the standard of high-quality winemaking in Argentina. The family has achieved its goals of making wines that can be counted among the best in the world.
Enjoy!
Please drink responsibly.
