2020 Bodegas Catena Zapata Nicolas
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Mendoza (Appellation) |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | , , Petit Verdot |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14.5%) |
| Drink window | 2024 - 2034 |
- Buy 6 for 91.95 75.99 each and save 6%
In stock
58 items available
Description
The famous Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary is perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world and is according to many the best vineyard of Catena for malbec. Studies are now underway on the soil composition and depth and the influence on the quality. The soil life is also being studied with attention to unique bacteria that would promote water absorption. The vineyard is located at a respectable altitude of no less than 1480 meters. Under the tab: Attachment you will find a lot of information and photos about this wine and the vineyard.
This is the absolute top of Argentinian red. The wine is made from hand-picked Cabernet Sauvignon supplemented with Malbec and a little Petit Verdot. The Nicolas Catena Zapata Nicolos matures first for 24 months in French oak and then another 24 months in the bottle in the bodega. Only then does the wine come onto the market, but it is worth the wait! The result is a wine that can compete with the world's best Bordeaux blends. In blind tastings, this new world wine with a classic twist always scores high! The Nicolas Catena Zapata has an intense, deep red-purple color. On the nose, the Nicolas Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of black fruit - blackberries, black cherries, black plums - with subtle notes of vanilla and dark chocolate mixed with savory hints of green olives and a stony minerality. On the palate, the wine is enormously complex and unfolds a new flavor layer upon layer. The wine is remarkably concentrated with a firm tannic structure as a backbone of the lush fruit. The finish is long and the wine has a long aging potential. This is a masterpiece and easily beats Bordeaux houses that are many times more expensive.
The top models of Catena Zapata are distributed via the Place du Bordeaux Negociance (where Grand Cru wines can be purchased) and not via regular importers. This is currently happening with many high-end wines from the top houses from Napa Valley (e.g. Isignia), Italy (Masseto) and South America (Zapata and Sena). Bodega Catena Zapata is seen as the flagship of the wineries in Argentina. The statement of Robert Parke says a lot: 'when all is said and done, Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference, the standard of excellence'.
95/100 Parker points & 98/100 James Suckling & 12th place in the "TOP 100 WINES OF ARGENTINA 2023" - James Suckling
FACT : In the Tab: Attachment you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send it to you when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to collect the wine you will often also receive a nice discount. You will see the possible discount immediately if you choose Collection on the Checkout page. We are located almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address.
Specifications
| Block Bundle Options | No |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | Red |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Mendoza |
| Appellation | Mendoza (Appellation) |
| Icons | Icon South America |
| Winery | Catena Zapata |
| Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2034 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Promotion | Tier Price |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Red fruit, Tannines, Full |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$125
Drink Date:
2025 - 2031
2020 was a very dry and low-yielding year, with 20% to 30% less crop, and the grapes were picked early. The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 21% Malbec, higher in Franc than ever, for the first time more than Malbec, to compensate the warm and dry conditions. The wine is ripe and very peppery, with 13.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.64. It matured in new and second-use French oak barrels for 18 months. It was a healthy crop with concentration and ripeness, and the wine comes through as powerful and quite classical, still a little oaky, with power and balance. 60,000 bottles were filled in January 2020.
Some of the vineyards from Catena are suffering from phylloxera, and parts of some vineyards have to be grubbed up and replanted.
Published: Nov 30, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
CATENA ZAPATA MENDOZA NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA 2020
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
CountryArgentina
RegionMendoza
Vintage2020
Score
98
Cassis, tobacco, wet stones, iron and baking spices to the nose, showing class, restraint and complexity. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with super fine tannins. Dry, super elegant and silky with a lengthy, polished finish. Really Bordeaux-like. Juicy and long. 54% cabernet sauvignon from Gualtallary, 25% cabernet franc from Altamira and 21% malbec from both areas. The highest portion of cabernet franc this year helped retain its nervy freshness! This is classy and beautiful. Harvested on March 12th and 13th. Drink or hold.
Zekun Shuai
Senior Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2040
From: The Uco Valley: Where Diverse Terroirs Work Their Magic (Sep 2023)
The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a blend composed of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc sourced from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. It was carefully aged for up to 16 months in French oak barrels. Garnet in hue. The nose reveals captivating cassis, rose, blackberry, plum and fig aromas harmoniously combined with dried flowers. The palate presents a dry and ample profile, with fine-grained tannins and a juicy flow that leads to a vibrant mouthfeel, brimming with energy. This meticulously crafted red achieves precise balance in a warm vintage.
- By JoaquÃn Hidalgo on June 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
96
96 Vinous (A. Galloni), 96 Wine Advocate, 98 James Suckling, 95 The Wine Independent (L. Perrotti-Brown)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
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Wijnhuis
The leading house Catena Zapata has been active in Argentinian viticulture for 4 generations. Bodega Catena Zapata was founded by Nicola Catena who left Italy by sailing ship to Argentina in 1898. He eventually ended up in Mendoza and planted his first vineyard here in 1902 with the grape variety Malbec. His son, Domingo, inherited the winery and realized his father's dream of becoming one of the greatest vineyard owners in Mendoza.
In the 1960s, the winery went through a difficult period due to the poor economy and rising inflation. Nicolás Catena, Domingo's son with an economics degree, took over in the mid-1960s and concentrated on expanding distribution in Argentina. He sold the table wine producing winery and kept only Bodegas Esmeralda, the winery of fine wines.
Argentina was known at the time as a bulk wine producing country and Nicolás was therefore considered crazy. But he insisted on looking for the best locations to plant vineyards, including in Gualtallary at high altitudes. In the 1980s he started to plant the grape varieties Chardonnay and Malbec. According to his own vineyard manager, the latter grape would never ripen here, but fortunately for Nicolás he did.
It took him five years before he was completely satisfied with the Malbec grape in the 60-year-old Angélica vineyard for the production of the Catena Malbec in 1994. A little later he started producing the Catena Alta wines, from the best plots. from its vineyards. He also grew many clones of the Malbec and managed to find the most suitable vineyard for each of them.
In the late 90s he started making some top cuvées which he called Catena Zapata (after the name of his mother Angélica Zapata). These wines are produced exclusively in exceptionally good years. Bodega Catena Zapata produces five different lines, mostly from vineyards at an altitude of 900 meters or more: Catena Zapata, Catena Alta, Catena, Alamos and Argento.
Attachments
+ 3 more attachments
The famous Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary is perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world and is according to many the best vineyard of Catena for malbec. Studies are now underway on the soil composition and depth and the influence on the quality. The soil life is also being studied with attention to unique bacteria that would promote water absorption. The vineyard is located at a respectable altitude of no less than 1480 meters. Under the tab: Attachment you will find a lot of information and photos about this wine and the vineyard.
This is the absolute top of Argentinian red. The wine is made from hand-picked Cabernet Sauvignon supplemented with Malbec and a little Petit Verdot. The Nicolas Catena Zapata Nicolos matures first for 24 months in French oak and then another 24 months in the bottle in the bodega. Only then does the wine come onto the market, but it is worth the wait! The result is a wine that can compete with the world's best Bordeaux blends. In blind tastings, this new world wine with a classic twist always scores high! The Nicolas Catena Zapata has an intense, deep red-purple color. On the nose, the Nicolas Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of black fruit - blackberries, black cherries, black plums - with subtle notes of vanilla and dark chocolate mixed with savory hints of green olives and a stony minerality. On the palate, the wine is enormously complex and unfolds a new flavor layer upon layer. The wine is remarkably concentrated with a firm tannic structure as a backbone of the lush fruit. The finish is long and the wine has a long aging potential. This is a masterpiece and easily beats Bordeaux houses that are many times more expensive.
The top models of Catena Zapata are distributed via the Place du Bordeaux Negociance (where Grand Cru wines can be purchased) and not via regular importers. This is currently happening with many high-end wines from the top houses from Napa Valley (e.g. Isignia), Italy (Masseto) and South America (Zapata and Sena). Bodega Catena Zapata is seen as the flagship of the wineries in Argentina. The statement of Robert Parke says a lot: 'when all is said and done, Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference, the standard of excellence'.
95/100 Parker points & 98/100 James Suckling & 12th place in the "TOP 100 WINES OF ARGENTINA 2023" - James Suckling
FACT : In the Tab: Attachment you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send it to you when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to collect the wine you will often also receive a nice discount. You will see the possible discount immediately if you choose Collection on the Checkout page. We are located almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address.
| Block Bundle Options | No |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | Red |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Mendoza |
| Appellation | Mendoza (Appellation) |
| Icons | Icon South America |
| Winery | Catena Zapata |
| Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2034 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Promotion | Tier Price |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Red fruit, Tannines, Full |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Open haard |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$125
Drink Date:
2025 - 2031
2020 was a very dry and low-yielding year, with 20% to 30% less crop, and the grapes were picked early. The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 21% Malbec, higher in Franc than ever, for the first time more than Malbec, to compensate the warm and dry conditions. The wine is ripe and very peppery, with 13.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.64. It matured in new and second-use French oak barrels for 18 months. It was a healthy crop with concentration and ripeness, and the wine comes through as powerful and quite classical, still a little oaky, with power and balance. 60,000 bottles were filled in January 2020.
Some of the vineyards from Catena are suffering from phylloxera, and parts of some vineyards have to be grubbed up and replanted.
Published: Nov 30, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
CATENA ZAPATA MENDOZA NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA 2020
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
CountryArgentina
RegionMendoza
Vintage2020
Score
98
Cassis, tobacco, wet stones, iron and baking spices to the nose, showing class, restraint and complexity. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with super fine tannins. Dry, super elegant and silky with a lengthy, polished finish. Really Bordeaux-like. Juicy and long. 54% cabernet sauvignon from Gualtallary, 25% cabernet franc from Altamira and 21% malbec from both areas. The highest portion of cabernet franc this year helped retain its nervy freshness! This is classy and beautiful. Harvested on March 12th and 13th. Drink or hold.
Zekun Shuai
Senior Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2040
From: The Uco Valley: Where Diverse Terroirs Work Their Magic (Sep 2023)
The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a blend composed of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc sourced from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. It was carefully aged for up to 16 months in French oak barrels. Garnet in hue. The nose reveals captivating cassis, rose, blackberry, plum and fig aromas harmoniously combined with dried flowers. The palate presents a dry and ample profile, with fine-grained tannins and a juicy flow that leads to a vibrant mouthfeel, brimming with energy. This meticulously crafted red achieves precise balance in a warm vintage.
- By JoaquÃn Hidalgo on June 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
96
96 Vinous (A. Galloni), 96 Wine Advocate, 98 James Suckling, 95 The Wine Independent (L. Perrotti-Brown)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
The leading house Catena Zapata has been active in Argentinian viticulture for 4 generations. Bodega Catena Zapata was founded by Nicola Catena who left Italy by sailing ship to Argentina in 1898. He eventually ended up in Mendoza and planted his first vineyard here in 1902 with the grape variety Malbec. His son, Domingo, inherited the winery and realized his father's dream of becoming one of the greatest vineyard owners in Mendoza.
In the 1960s, the winery went through a difficult period due to the poor economy and rising inflation. Nicolás Catena, Domingo's son with an economics degree, took over in the mid-1960s and concentrated on expanding distribution in Argentina. He sold the table wine producing winery and kept only Bodegas Esmeralda, the winery of fine wines.
Argentina was known at the time as a bulk wine producing country and Nicolás was therefore considered crazy. But he insisted on looking for the best locations to plant vineyards, including in Gualtallary at high altitudes. In the 1980s he started to plant the grape varieties Chardonnay and Malbec. According to his own vineyard manager, the latter grape would never ripen here, but fortunately for Nicolás he did.
It took him five years before he was completely satisfied with the Malbec grape in the 60-year-old Angélica vineyard for the production of the Catena Malbec in 1994. A little later he started producing the Catena Alta wines, from the best plots. from its vineyards. He also grew many clones of the Malbec and managed to find the most suitable vineyard for each of them.
In the late 90s he started making some top cuvées which he called Catena Zapata (after the name of his mother Angélica Zapata). These wines are produced exclusively in exceptionally good years. Bodega Catena Zapata produces five different lines, mostly from vineyards at an altitude of 900 meters or more: Catena Zapata, Catena Alta, Catena, Alamos and Argento.
+ 3 more attachments
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