Catena Zapata Red Blend Nicolas Catena Zapata 2007 750ml

A ripe, modern success with everything a fan of New World reds might want. The nose is floral and beautiful, with fine oak scents supporting brilliant raspberry, plum and spice aromas. It's deep, smooth and pressing in the mouth, with a delicious set of blackberry, coconut, vanilla and creamy flavors. A beauty to drink now through 2017.

Saturated ruby. Extremely backward nose offers cassis, licorice and caraway seed. Big, rich, sweet and pliant but with strong underlying structure from the cabernet. Less exotic than the Argentino and more vibrant today but less obviously creamy-sweet and in need of some bottle aging. In fact, this is downright youthful. Finishes with palate-saturating flavor and firm, slightly medicinal tannins. This cabernet-based blend may be a better bet than the Argentino for those who prefer more classical wines. .

Dense yet supple, with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry and plum skin notes revealing layers of wild sage, cured olive, espresso and spice. Harmonious, with fine tannins adding grip, as the fruit sails on the mocha-tinged finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2014. 4,500 cases made.

Nicolás 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.