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Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna Vineyard River Stones 2018 1.5Ltr

size
1.5Ltr
country
Argentina
region
Cuyo
appellation
Mendoza
subappellation
Gualtallary
JS
100
WA
99
VM
95
Additional vintages
JS
100
Rated 100 by James Suckling
This is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024. ... More details
Image of bottle
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Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna Vineyard River Stones 2018 1.5Ltr

SKU 953952
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$356.95
/1.5Ltr bottle
Quantity
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
JS
100
WA
99
VM
95
JS
100
Rated 100 by James Suckling
This is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024.
WA
99
Rated 99 by Wine Advocate
The 2018 Adrianna Vineyard River Stones is always the freshest and most austere of the three single-plot bottlings from the Adrianna Vineyard on Gualtallary. This fermented with some 70% full clusters, as it was harvested at three different times and the first two fermented with full clusters and the last pick was added destemmed to the fermentation. The nose is subtle, elegant and nuanced; the grapes were picked quite early in 2018 and that ensured a vibrant palate with almost citrus (blood orange) sensations. A small percentage of the wine matured in stainless steel. They have been working with the irrigation and only irrigated it four times that year, achieving more precision in the viticulture, which gets reflected in the balance of the wine. This has very fine tannins, a very fine thread and a dry, long and tasty finish. This is markedly stony, true to the character of the place. Red fruit, textured and mineral. 5,160 bottles were filled in December 2019.
VM
95
Rated 95 by Vinous Media
Riverstone is a 1.6-hectare parcel of Malbec grown in a dry river bed of stones coated in calcium carbonate. The winemaking process begins with fermentation in 500-liter barrels, followed by 20 months’ aging in French oak barrels. Expressive, like all wines grown in stony soil, this is also fruity with notes of sour cherry, raspberry and lavender. The palate is quite intense, offering hints of chalk that define the texture and a saline flavor that enhances and channels the effect in the mouth.
Winery
Floral, exuberant, lengthy smooth tannins, metallic.
Product Details
size
1.5Ltr
country
Argentina
region
Cuyo
appellation
Mendoza
subappellation
Gualtallary
Additional vintages
Overview
This is really something. There’s purity and focus to the aromas of crushed berries, licorice and black tea, which follow through to an integrated palate of extremely fine, melted tannins that spread to the very ends of the wine. This is all about balance and length. It really is an emotional wine. Great follow-up to the 2017, which was also 100 points. Drinkable now, but better after 2024.
green grapes

Varietal: Malbec

Malbec grapes have a beautiful deep and dusty purple color, and can now be found growing in abundance in many different countries. They thrive most successfully in hot, dry southern climates, a long way from their home in native France. However, whilst many Old World wineries had and continue to have a lot of success with this flavorful grape, its susceptibility to rot and weakness against cold and damp meant that its usage began to dwindle in the countries such as France whilst it grew in the New. Malbec's thick skins lend it strong tannins, something which allows the wines produced from these grapes to hold their distinctive, astringent and full-bodied character. They also tend to be packed full of plummy, fleshy fruit-forward flavors, making them an interesting and complex grape for single variety wines, as well as an ideal grape for blending and aging.
barrel

Region: Cuyo

The region of Cuyo has been internationally associated with fine Argentinian wine for several decades, and has a wine history which stretches back centuries to the time of the original Spanish settlers, who sought areas in which to plant imported grape vines for sacramental wine production. The region contains several of Argentina's most renowned and widely appreciated provinces, including the Mendoza, La Rioja, San Juan and San Luis, and the mountainous nature of this arid region provides an ideal environment for vineyard cultivation. As the mighty Desaguadero River snakes its way between the Andes, it deposits plenty of important minerals in the soil, which allow grape varietals closely associated with the Argentinian wine industry – such as Malbec – to grow to a perfect level of ripeness. As such, even in the driest areas of the Cuyo region, flavorful and fruit-forward wines are produced in impressive amounts.
fields

Country: Argentina

As the world's fifth largest producer of wine, after France, Italy, Spain and the United States, Argentina has plenty to offer the international wine market in regards to both quantity and quality. Despite this being the case for several decades now, it has only been since the end of the twentieth century that the Argentinian wine industry has really begun to up their game when it comes to the methods and techniques required to produce world class wines, which are both representative of their country and region of origin, and which stand alone as complex, interesting and delicious wines to drink. As Argentina became a serious contender in the international wine market, wineries previously concerned primarily with high volumes began to change their priorities, and formerly struggling small bodegas and independent wineries began to find success. Nowadays, well crafted wines from smaller vineyards in Argentina are being lauded as some of the finest in the world, and the country is starting to reap the benefits of its heritage, which include some very old vines, and up to four centuries of experience in wine production.
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Winery Catena Zapata
green grapes

Varietal: Malbec

Malbec grapes have a beautiful deep and dusty purple color, and can now be found growing in abundance in many different countries. They thrive most successfully in hot, dry southern climates, a long way from their home in native France. However, whilst many Old World wineries had and continue to have a lot of success with this flavorful grape, its susceptibility to rot and weakness against cold and damp meant that its usage began to dwindle in the countries such as France whilst it grew in the New. Malbec's thick skins lend it strong tannins, something which allows the wines produced from these grapes to hold their distinctive, astringent and full-bodied character. They also tend to be packed full of plummy, fleshy fruit-forward flavors, making them an interesting and complex grape for single variety wines, as well as an ideal grape for blending and aging.
barrel

Region: Cuyo

The region of Cuyo has been internationally associated with fine Argentinian wine for several decades, and has a wine history which stretches back centuries to the time of the original Spanish settlers, who sought areas in which to plant imported grape vines for sacramental wine production. The region contains several of Argentina's most renowned and widely appreciated provinces, including the Mendoza, La Rioja, San Juan and San Luis, and the mountainous nature of this arid region provides an ideal environment for vineyard cultivation. As the mighty Desaguadero River snakes its way between the Andes, it deposits plenty of important minerals in the soil, which allow grape varietals closely associated with the Argentinian wine industry – such as Malbec – to grow to a perfect level of ripeness. As such, even in the driest areas of the Cuyo region, flavorful and fruit-forward wines are produced in impressive amounts.
fields

Country: Argentina

As the world's fifth largest producer of wine, after France, Italy, Spain and the United States, Argentina has plenty to offer the international wine market in regards to both quantity and quality. Despite this being the case for several decades now, it has only been since the end of the twentieth century that the Argentinian wine industry has really begun to up their game when it comes to the methods and techniques required to produce world class wines, which are both representative of their country and region of origin, and which stand alone as complex, interesting and delicious wines to drink. As Argentina became a serious contender in the international wine market, wineries previously concerned primarily with high volumes began to change their priorities, and formerly struggling small bodegas and independent wineries began to find success. Nowadays, well crafted wines from smaller vineyards in Argentina are being lauded as some of the finest in the world, and the country is starting to reap the benefits of its heritage, which include some very old vines, and up to four centuries of experience in wine production.