95
Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Doctor Nicolas Catena always liked Cabernet Sauvignon so the wine that carries his name has a greater percentage of the noble Bordeaux grape. The 2010 Nicolas Catena Zapata is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Malbec sourced from La Piramide, Domingo, Adrianna and Nicasia. The fresh and balanced 2010 produced good ripeness of the fruit but the acidity was also great and the wine finished with 6.5 grams of acidity and a natural pH of 3.5, as the grapes are selected from cold soils. The first vintage was 1997, but this has to be one of their finest. This has the intensity of the Catena Alta Cabernet and the verticality and austerity of the Adrianna Malbec. It has very good acidity and intensity, while it has some velvety tannins. For a minute I was trying to remember the varietals as the sense of place, the freshness and the earthy sensations clearly take over. A superb bottle of wine. This is a wine to age. Drink 2016-2023. "
94 Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media
"(a 75/25 blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec): Bright, full ruby-red. Terrific verve to the aromas of blackberry, licorice, violet pastille and minerals. At once opulent and elegant, with sexy herbal lift and harmonious acidity giving thrust and clarity to the dark berry flavors. In a more serious, less fruity and less sweet style than the Malbec Argentino, with the structure to support a longer life in bottle. Very classy wine." Reviewed March 2014
4 Vivino - Vivino
4.0 out of 5.0 stars, based on 2361 ratings as of September 23, 2016
Product Description:
"The Catena family vision has been to uncover those magical places in each of the family` vineyards that offer the purest expression of the land. Farming these special lots manually, hand tending each of the vines, has led to the identification of individual plants which consistently produce the most exceptional fruit. These Zapata vines have been physically marked with a red sash, ensuring the most demanding attention to detail in their care. Harvested separately in multiple passes through the vineyard, the grapes are then loaded by hand into French oak barrels for a long, cool fermentation with cap management being done by hand. Over 200 separate microfermentations are done, separated by different lots and harvest times. The inaugural 1997 vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America when it won a series of blind tasting against First Growth Bordeaux and other prestigious cuvées from around the world.
NicolAs Catena Zapata has an intense, deep purple color with bluish-black tones. On the nose, aromas of black fruits – blackberries, black cherries, black plums – predominate with subtle notes of vanilla and dark chocolate intermingled with savory hints of green olive and a stony minerality. On the palate, the wine is tremendously complex, unfolding layer upon layer of red currant, eucalyptus, and black pepper flavors . Black cherries and blackberries give way to cassis followed by a hint of saline minerality. The wine is remarkably concentrated with a firm tannic structure providing the backbone for the lush fruit. The finish is long, a foretoken of the long aging potential of this Argentine masterpiece." - Importer
