2017 Nicolas Catena Zapata
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Tasting notes
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc. Yields were low again in 2017 due to frost, making for two small vintages in a row. The Uco Valley Malbec was particularly badly hit, down 55% on expected levels. Harvest was two weeks earlier than normal, with concentrated fruit due to the smaller yields. Deep ruby colour. Savoury and herbal nose, full of camphor, bell pepper and fresh blackcurrant. The palate is much glossier, with soft and fine tannins gently framing the fruit. Sweet fruit and a bite of acidity go well together. It needs a couple of years to integrate the sweet oak on the finish, which is a little jarring against the herbal character at the moment. (TP)
Critic scores
Average Score
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The approachable 2017 Nicolás Catena Zapata has a little more Cabernet Franc in the blend, even if the majority is Cabernet Sauvignon and there is some Malbec. In 2017, they sourced Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira and Gualtallary, and it fermented together with the juice of the Cabernet Franc. It has a touch of ripeness in the nose but without excess; it's balsamic, with the Cabernet dominating the aromatics. The palate comes through as really balanced and perhaps a little lighter. It has very fine tannins and a clean, focused finish. 78,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2018.
Bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of blueberry, violet, licorice, spices and bitter chocolate; this really stands out among Catena's 2017 reds for its floral character. Juicy and tightly wound but not a bit hard, communicating a distinctly primary quality to its densely packed flavors of crushed black fruits, violet, bitter chocolate and minerals. Boasts terrific energy and penetrating grip for this special bottling, finishing dense and extremely long but not at all heavy, with serious but perfectly buffered tannins saturating the tongue and teeth. This really fills the olfactories! But lay this beauty down and forget about it for three or four years. My sample retained its verve for many days in the recorked bottle.
Sweet tobacco, walnuts, blackberries and dried flowers on the nose. Full body, yet ultra-fine tannins and a super long finish. Superb finesse and polish. Drink after 2023, but already fabulous.
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.