2021 Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata, Mendoza

Sweet tobacco, cigar box, berries and minerals. It gets a little zesty and citrusy on the nose. Really refined and juicy on the palate with lot of fine tannins. Silky, fluid and linear with a very elegant, soft-spoken finish. 46% cabernet sauvignon from Adrianna vineyard and 44% malbec and 10% cabernet franc from Nicasia vineyard. Really refined, long and Bordelais. This is already drinking really well, but it will hold like this for a long time.
 
97 points jamessuckling.com

The 2021 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc from Nicasia and Adrianna vineyards. It fermented in small oak barrels, concrete and stainless steel tanks and matured in 2,000-liter oak foudres for 18 months. It's a powerful but fresh red with 13.7% alcohol and mellow acidity, perhaps because the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked earlier (and with lower yields) and they discarded the clay soils and went more for stony plots. The wine feels more streamlined and elegant. 2021 is a cool and very good year, following the path of the 2019, and the wine shows the classical herbal and spicy character of the Bordeaux varieties with pungent notes of black peppercorns and is spicier because of the high Cabernet Franc content. 64,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.

96+ points robertparker.com

Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata is a flagship Argentine red that redefined what Mendoza could achieve at the highest level. First released in 1997, this wine was inspired by the great blends of Bordeaux, but with the power and altitude-driven energy of the Andes. It’s a meticulously crafted wine that combines the richness of Mendoza fruit with remarkable structure, longevity and refinement.

The blend typically features Cabernet Sauvignon as the backbone, supported by Malbec and sometimes a small proportion of Cabernet Franc. Grapes are sourced from some of the Catena family’s most exceptional high-altitude vineyards, including Adrianna in Gualtallary and Nicasia in Altamira. These sites sit between 900 and 1500 metres above sea level, providing intense sunlight and cool nights that result in ripe fruit with vibrant acidity and fine tannin.

Fermentation is carried out in small lots with wild yeasts, and the wine is aged in French oak barrels, a portion of which are new, for around 18 to 24 months. The style is powerful yet balanced, structured yet graceful.

On the nose, it opens with cassis, black cherry, graphite, violets, cedar and crushed herbs. The palate is dense and layered, showing dark berry fruit, cocoa, tobacco, fine tannins and a mineral core. There’s remarkable precision for such a full bodied wine, and the finish is long, dry and focused.

Food pairing: perfect with grilled ribeye, roast lamb with rosemary, mushroom and truffle dishes, or hard cheeses like manchego and aged gouda. Also excellent with slow-braised short ribs or cassoulet.

Cellar potential: designed to age. While approachable after a few years in bottle, it will evolve gracefully over 20 to 25 years, gaining complexity and tertiary depth.