Review: Malbecs of Catena Zapata, 2026 Releases
The thing about Catena Zapata and the narrative the winery prefers to tell about itself is that it is both a perfect distillation of Argentina and also incomplete. Yes, there are the high-altitude viticultural breakthroughs, the almost comically idyllic backdrops of Mendoza, and a Malbec portfolio insisting people stop thinking of Argentina as a punchline to a bulk-wine joke and start treating it as a place where serious work gets done. There are the elevations, the soils and the climate swings, all those talking points recited at tastings and in the corners of Michelin and Michelin-aspirant restaurants, where Catena Zapata’s own bottlings justify a place at the table with regularity. However, there is also the blunt, unromantic fact that a family decided, over generations, to be extremely intentional about the work of making wine in a place where almost everything about the political and economic environment argued against it, and to keep pushing up mountains anyway.
The result is less a collection of trophies than a kind of ongoing argument: that science and attention can forge something precise and moving out of grapes once treated as an afterthought, and that a New World winery can demand a sort of old-world gravitas without surrendering any of its quirkiness.
2022 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard River Mendoza Malbec – The nose comes on quietly: herbs, cassis, a little spice sneaking in at the edges, but the wine tightens and as it moves across the palate, where a clean acidity keeps pace with silky tannins. The layers of blackberry and plum meld with a faintly savory, meaty edge, with those herbal notes threading through to the finish. If you’re a Malbec fanatic looking for a bottle to celebrate a special occasion such as a child’s graduation, a surgeon reattaching a hand or a corporate acquisition, there are but a scant few names equal in class. A / $250
2021 Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard Paraje Altamira Malbec – This wine does the courtesy of showing its hand upfront: a theatrical nose of crushed violet, blackberry, red cherries, and the sort of sweet spice that points in the direction of freshly grated cinnamon. On the palate, there’s a back and forth between the black and red fruit that never lets up or changes direction. The floral notes don’t entirely disappear, and the whole thing trails off on a lengthy finish that drops in a touch of chocolate and a note of rosemary. Just in case you somehow missed the memo that this is meant to be impressive and complex. A-/ $100
2022 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec – The aromas are incredibly rich: dark and blue fruits, mountain herbs, a little cocoa, and a touch of gravel. Even with time in the glass, it doesn’t let up. The palate makes it more evocative, with bright acidity keeping the richer fruit from sprawling. Plum skin, black cherry, and a discreet savory note stack up in slow layers before easing into a cool, gravel-heavy afterword politely suggesting that perhaps it was opened a bit ahead of schedule. Cellar this one for a few years, and the wait will be rewarded. A- / $100
2022 Catena Zapata Argentino Mendoza Malbec – The aromas lean into the dark side, with notes of spice, bell pepper and tobacco leaf leading the charge before shifting to blackberry, strawberry and a touch of mint to keep it from feeling too brooding. Fine tannins and a juicy palate, big on concentrated fruit, are balanced by a touch of white pepper and smoky nuances. The finish is incredibly long and lingering with a creamy texture, elbowing its way to the top. A- / $120
2022 Catena Alta Historic Rows Malbec – The nose is oddly charming, like walking into an upscale confectionery: candied figs, chocolate-covered blackberry, and a faint tree-bark/cola combination emerging with time in the glass. On the palate, it’s all soft, mouth-filling texture: plenty of red-and-black fruit, and then, just when it seems settled in, the oak steps forward at the end. It’s a solid wine for transitioning from the final days of winter to the arrival of spring. B+ / $50
2023 Catena Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec – Very approachable, plum-heavy at first, with a sequence of cedar and warm spice keeping things rather restrained. Everything runs as expected on the palate: dark fruit, cocoa powder and a grind of pepper all dominant, although slightly thinner than the rest of this cohort. The finish gets livelier with a touch of vanilla and the peppery quality rising above the fruit. It tries hard but tends to veer into predictable terrain. B / $25
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