Catena Malbec 2023

This Malbec comes from a selection of the Catena family's historic vineyards across the high terroirs of Mendoza. The blend brings together Lunlunta, in the Maipú department, El Cepillo in Eugenio Bustos and Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley. Between 920 and 1,450 metres above sea level, the alluvial soils mixing pebbles, clays, sands and limestone bring breadth, freshness and mineral precision.

The lots are vinified separately. After five days of cold pre-fermentation maceration at 8.8 °C, fermentation lasts 10 to 16 days with native yeasts; total maceration extends over 19 to 22 days. The wine is then aged for 11 to 13 months in first-, second- and third-use French oak barrels, chosen according to the origin of the grapes and the profile of the vintage. It is neither fined nor filtered.

This wine reveals notes of black plum, blackberry, blueberry and black cherry, complemented by the freshness of violet and pot-pourri. Hints of gunflint, sweet cocoa and freshly turned earth underline its complexity. The palate combines juicy, velvety fruit with lively acidity; the fine, powdery tannins frame a long, straight, mineral finish.

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.