2016 Nicolas Catena Zapata
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Tasting notes
Tasted from a 10-cl tube. Their tech notes say: ‘D ry farming, cool climate and eternal snow. The coolest vintage in the last thirty years, 2016 was marked by "el niño", low yields and a fully snow-covered view of the Andes through the summer. The rains came together with cooler than usual days which saved us from any rot by lowering yields and shortening the harvest season. Our vineyards were mostly dry farmed; natural acidities are extremely high and alcohols low, in the 12–13% range. The 2016 wines might take longer than usual to be ready for drinking. Hand-picked, and some parcels are fermented as whole bunches to enhance tannic structure and freshness. The fermentation takes place in 500-litre oak barrels, concrete and stainless-steel tanks, at temperatures of 26-28 °C for about 10–15 days. The post-fermentative maceration lasts between 5 and 10 days. The wine carries out its malolactic fermentation and is then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months.' 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc. 6,200 cases produced. Wine director: Alejandro Vigil. Winemaker: Fernando Buscema. Laura Catena calls this their 'Burgundy vintage' – unusually cold but the low yields were down to coulure rather than rot. Unusually, this blend included Cab Franc. So much more floral than the 2018. Violets, talc, lavender. The massive power geometry of the 2018 contrasts sharply with the brushstroke-oval of the 2016. A long, slim wine of almost ethereal proportions. Fresh-picked peppermint leafiness layers under blueberries under panpipe notes of white pepper. Breathtakingly fragrant fine. A whisper of blueberries. This is absolutely stunning. They say drink between 2038 to 2045, but I am going to once again make a much more conservative estimate. (TC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc from Gualtallary and Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley. It was aged with painstaking precision and presents an alcohol content that reflects the cool year. Perhaps its best quality is the delicate nose of red fruit and floral aromas, which features blackcurrant, plum and lavender notes. Relaxed on the palate with thoroughly polished tannins and measured juice, the texture grows even silkier when the well-integrated freshness comes into play. A dusting of chalk makes a late entrance to coincide with the return of the fruity flavors. This is a layered, increasingly profound and nuanced wine.
From La Pirámide Vineyard (950 m), Agrelo District, Luján de Cuyo (Cabernet Sauvignon); Adrianna Vineyard (1,450 m), Gualtallary District, Tupungato Region, Uco Valley (Malbec); Nicasia Vineyard (1,095 m), Altamira en La Consulta District, Uco Valley (Malbec/Cabernet Franc). 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc. Very cold vintage. Very lively and fresh. Really zippy and fruity. Very broad and yet disciplined and a bit dry and taut on the end at the moment. (JR)
The 2016 Nicolás Catena Zapata has not been released, and they are going to sell the 2017 before it. This is the one wine, together with the Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, that is sold through the négoce in Bordeaux for Europe and Asia. This is backward, serious and austere, with terrific balance and great length. This is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon from Gualtallary and 31% Malbec from Nicasia. There is also some 8% Cabernet Franc that seems to add a touch, and in 2016, it didn't need irrigation because there was enough rain. This seems to follow the style of the 2013, a little tight, perhaps because of the Cabernets. This is nuanced and complex, with very good integration of the varieties and the oak, fruit, acidity and mineral texture. One of the best vintages for this bottling. 74,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2017.
About the producer
Bodega Catena Zapata has been instrumental both in the development of fine wine production in Argentina and in realising the full potential of the Malbec grape.