If it's a luxurious bold red you're looking for, the Nicasia Vineyard Malbec from Bodega Catena Zapata should be on the list! It's an impressive wine to gift, and a worthy pairing for your special Winter meals (like well-seasoned prime rib or rack of lamb). The critics are well aware of this gem, which, under the winemaking leadership of Alejandro Vigil (also of El Enemigo fame), has regularly received praise from Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and James Suckling. The 2018 edition that we're now offering is one of the best yet, with a stellar 98-point review!
The Nicasia Vineyard is a modern evolution for the historic Catena Zapata winery, which originally helped bring Argentina recognition as a world-class wine region. In 1996, vine cuttings from an old family vineyard were planted in the Altamira district, higher up the gently-sloping, gravelly landscape at the base of the Andes. At around 3600 feet above sea level, and with an average annual temperature like that of France's Chateauneuf-du-Pape, it's a place of rising fame for wines of sturdy concentration and enthralling complexity, delivered with enticing elements of aromatic and textural freshness and finesse.
To make this modern expression, they allow whole Malbec clusters to undergo a slow fermentation in new French oak barrels. This creates a wine of intense color, with waves of clear aromas and flavors driven by dark chocolate-toned black plum and berries, exotic florals, fresh lavender and thyme, woven through with a toasty, woodsy barrel accent. The juicy acidity, fruit-enrobed tannins that coat the tongue, and signature 'crushed granite' minerality imbued into the velvety fruit all shape and drive the wine into its long, slowly tapered finish. Lingering earthy-mineral and candied flower notes work in harmony with the softly chewy texture, creating a delicious, lightly savory-fruited ending. You might lose yourself swirling and exploring the wine in your glass. Bold, verging on decadent, but still suave and sophisticated. We recommend decanting to remove naturally occurring 'sediment,' and serving at a cool 62F.
WINE ADVOCATE 98 POINTS - "The 2018 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard, from a vineyard planted in Altamira in 1996 from an old massal selection, has contained ripeness, reflecting the less warm vintage (after 2017). The grapes were picked very early but with good ripeness because of the low yields in a very dry year. It fermented in open-top barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels. It's a balanced and elegant Malbec with some restraint and a very fine thread in the palate, with really fine tannins. It follows the path of the phenomenal 2017, fine and elegant. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020."
The Nicasia Vineyard is a modern evolution for the historic Catena Zapata winery, which originally helped bring Argentina recognition as a world-class wine region. In 1996, vine cuttings from an old family vineyard were planted in the Altamira district, higher up the gently-sloping, gravelly landscape at the base of the Andes. At around 3600 feet above sea level, and with an average annual temperature like that of France's Chateauneuf-du-Pape, it's a place of rising fame for wines of sturdy concentration and enthralling complexity, delivered with enticing elements of aromatic and textural freshness and finesse.
To make this modern expression, they allow whole Malbec clusters to undergo a slow fermentation in new French oak barrels. This creates a wine of intense color, with waves of clear aromas and flavors driven by dark chocolate-toned black plum and berries, exotic florals, fresh lavender and thyme, woven through with a toasty, woodsy barrel accent. The juicy acidity, fruit-enrobed tannins that coat the tongue, and signature 'crushed granite' minerality imbued into the velvety fruit all shape and drive the wine into its long, slowly tapered finish. Lingering earthy-mineral and candied flower notes work in harmony with the softly chewy texture, creating a delicious, lightly savory-fruited ending. You might lose yourself swirling and exploring the wine in your glass. Bold, verging on decadent, but still suave and sophisticated. We recommend decanting to remove naturally occurring 'sediment,' and serving at a cool 62F.
WINE ADVOCATE 98 POINTS - "The 2018 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard, from a vineyard planted in Altamira in 1996 from an old massal selection, has contained ripeness, reflecting the less warm vintage (after 2017). The grapes were picked very early but with good ripeness because of the low yields in a very dry year. It fermented in open-top barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels. It's a balanced and elegant Malbec with some restraint and a very fine thread in the palate, with really fine tannins. It follows the path of the phenomenal 2017, fine and elegant. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020."
Overall Rating
0 out of 5 Based on 0 Review
