Catena Zapata Nicolas 2021

This cuvée comes from the high-altitude vineyards of Mendoza, in the Uco Valley. It blends the Adrianna cru, in Gualtallary, perched at 1,450 metres on gravelly limestone soils, and Nicasia, in Paraje Altamira, at 1,095 metres, where gravels mingle with sand and silt. These mountain plots, planted with ungrafted pre-phylloxera massal selections, bring freshness, mineral relief and depth to the wine.

The grapes are harvested by hand. Fermentation lasts around 15 days at 26–28 °C, in small oak barrels, concrete tanks and stainless-steel tanks. Total maceration lasts 18 to 22 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, before final blending and bottling.

This wine reveals notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, redcurrant, eucalyptus, thyme, sweet tobacco, cigar box, black pepper, cedar, vanilla, dark chocolate and saline minerality. The palate is dense yet sleek, with a silky, fluid texture, carried by fresh acidity and very fine tannins. The long, racy finish blends black fruit, spice and a graphite imprint.

Although Argentina is considered part of the "New World", its winegrowing tradition is much older than you might think, dating back to the Spanish colonial era in the 16th century and later to Italian settlers. Unlike Chile, wine has long been part of the country's culture. No wine-producing country in the world made more progress in the last years of the 20th century (in viticulture, winemaking and, necessarily, finance), which allowed the country's winemakers to raise quality levels and consolidate an international export market. Argentina has now become the fifth-largest wine-producing country in the world, after France, Italy, Spain and the United States. Winegrowing is mainly practised in the foothills of the Andes, particularly in Mendoza, where desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to produce aromatic, intensely fragrant wines. Some vineyards are even planted at up to 3,000 metres above sea level! The terroir here is well suited to the grape variety Argentina has adopted as its own: the ubiquitous Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, it is now behind some of Argentina's most famous wines, which are characterised by their brilliance and intensity, with floral notes and black-fruit flavours. Other red varieties produced in Argentina are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. Among the white wines, the emblematic grape variety of Argentine winegrowing is Torrontés, which gives a wine with floral and tropical flavours. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Today Argentine wines are recognised worldwide for their full-bodied reds and as wines of great quality.