Catena Zapata Adrianna River 2022

This wine comes from the prestigious Adrianna vineyard, located in Gualtallary in the high Uco Valley. It originates at the foot of the Andes Mountains, in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. Planted at very high altitudes on alluvial soils rich in pebbles and limestone deposits, the vines benefit from cool nights and sunny days that promote slow and complete grape ripening. This extreme terroir, with large temperature variations and naturally low yields, gives the wine great purity, marked tension, and a unique mineral expression.

Made from vines located in the Adrianna vineyard, this wine is harvested manually to preserve the integrity of the berries. Fermentation takes place in tanks with prolonged maceration to delicately extract color, aromas, and structure, thanks to gentle pump-overs and precise temperature control. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, some new, for several months, to refine the tannins, add aromatic complexity, and preserve the characteristic freshness of this high-altitude terroir.

This wine reveals notes of ripe black fruits, fresh red fruits, and violet, enhanced by hints of sweet spices, pepper, and delicately toasted wood, with a subtle chalky mineral dimension. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated, driven by a lively acidic backbone and fine yet firm tannins, offering a silky texture and a long and persistent finish that highlights the freshness and precision of the terroir.

Although Argentina is often considered part of the "New World," its winemaking tradition is much older than one might think, dating back to the Spanish colonization of the 16th century and later to Italian settlers. Unlike Chile, wine has long been an integral part of the country's culture. No other wine-producing country in the world made more progress in the latter years of the 20th century (in viticulture, oenology, and, of course, finance), which allowed the country's winemakers to raise quality levels and successfully establish an international export market. Argentina is now the fifth largest wine-producing country in the world, after France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Viticulture is practiced primarily in the foothills of the Andes, particularly in Mendoza, where the desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to create aromatic and intensely flavorful wines. Some vineyards are even planted at altitudes of up to 3,000 meters! The terroir here is well-suited to the grape variety adopted by Argentina: the ubiquitous Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, it is now the source of some of Argentina's most famous wines, characterized by their brilliance and intensity, with floral notes and dark fruit flavors. Other red varieties produced in Argentina include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir. Among white wines, the emblematic grape of the Argentine wine region is Torrontés, which yields a wine with a floral and tropical taste. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Today, Argentine wines are recognized worldwide for their full-bodied reds and as being of high quality.