CATENA ALTA 'HISTORIC ROWS' MALBEC, ARGENTINA 2018

Varietal: 100% Malbec

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

What's so Special: Bodega Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's high altitude Malbec pioneers. The Catena family began making wine in Mendoza in 1902. Nicolas Catena, third generation family vintner, was one of the first to see the potential of Mendoza's mountain vineyards for producing high quality Malbec. In 1994, he became the first Argentine to exprot a world-class bottling of Malbec under the Catena label.

Tastes Like: Catena Alta is an assemblage of historic rows within the Catena family Estate vineyards. The blend of these historic rows, like the marriage of sounds that create a symphony, yields a highly aromatic and elegant wine that speaks for the earth and the vines that have been tended by the Catenas for four generations. The Catena Alta wines can usually be drunk starting at three years after harvest and into the following one to two decades.

Pairs With: Grilled vegetables, Lamb Gyros, Meeting your In-Laws.

What the Pros Say: Wine Advocate - 93 Points: "The 2018 Catena Alta Malbec shows more evolution and ripeness than the 2019. It's varietal and floral with a mixture of red and black fruit, sweet spices and aromatic herbs. It has moderate ripeness—in fact, it's a little lower in alcohol than the 2019—a medium body and fine-grained tannins, with good grip. 162,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2019."