Team C&J
The deeper we dive into this Argentinian brand, the more we appreciate the impact that owner Nicolás Catena Zapata has had on Argentina’s wine culture. Wine lovers who open a bottle of 2019 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, aren’t just getting a fantastic red wine; they’re getting a little history in the bottle as the story of Malbec comes full circle in its journey from the Old World to the New World.
France is one of the first wine regions covered in wine education programs like WSET. And one of France’s most prolific grapes is Malbec, a dark-skinned grape known for its plum, blackberry, soft chocolate flavors, and aromatic leather notes.
Malbec migrated from France to Argentina by way of agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget, who carried cuttings with him when he visited the South American country in the mid-1800s. Just twenty or so years later, phylloxera took hold in many (upwards of 75%) of France’s vineyards and decimated the grape in its native country.
Phylloxera never made it to Argentina’s vineyards, and so the supply of Malbec grapes in that country continued to thrive. With production safe and with the French supply nearly wiped out, Argentina became the “go-to” producer for the French grape, and Argentine vineyard owners embraced the grape as their own because it so easily took hold in the mild, sunny climate.
Malbec from Argentina tends to be more fruit-forward, and the palate is softer and more velvety than its French counterpart. Malbec from France has a firmer structure and a savory, almost “meaty” quality. The fruit in French Malbec is also tarter and less juicy.
One look at the label on the Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, and you understand just how seriously the winery takes its love of Malbec. The intricate artwork on the label of this particular bottle almost mythologizes Malbec’s history and status in Argentina. Life, death, and rebirth are all front and center.
On one side of the label is Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152, and later, when she was married to King Henry II, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189. Eleanor symbolizes Malbec’s birth and evokes a kind of royal beginning in France. Next to Eleanor, an immigrant is depicted. This, of course, represents Malbec’s move from the Old World (France) to the New World (Argentina). At the center of the label is Death itself, phylloxera.
While this small insect spelled doom and destruction on one side of the world, it ultimately lifted Argentina’s profile on the world stage, where Malbec was concerned. The label wouldn’t be a Bodega Catena Zapata without reference to the winery itself. Adrianna Catena represents the lifecycle of the grape and the nutrient-rich soil that allows Malbec to rise from the ashes, as it were.
In the glass, the 2019 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is a deep garnet color. The nose evokes dark ripe fruits, most notably black cherry, and blackberry, as well as concentrated raisin, coffee, and leather notes.
Picking this wine out as a Malbec from Argentina would be effortless in a blind tasting; the palate is classic Malbec. Like the nose, the palate sings with black cherry, blackberry, and plum. Pleasant spices like black pepper, coffee, and sweet tobacco put on a showy display and are followed by a long finish. This Catena Zapata wine is full-bodied, well-balanced, and a lovely example of why the world looks to Argentina when it wants a satisfying bottle of Malbec.
Grapes used in this bottling are sourced from the old vines in the Angelica Vineyard and the Nicasia Vineyard. The wine is fermented at a ratio of 20% whole cluster and 80% whole berry fruit in new French oak barrels, which gives the wine a lovely softness.
The 2019 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is everything Malbec should be. We highly recommend you try a bottle of this dynamic wine.
Argentina
Mendoza
Malbec
13.8
Nicolás Catena Zapata
62–68°F / 16–20°C
Large Bordeaux
1 to 2 Hours
2025 - 2035
Bodega Catena Zapata
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