Catena Zapata's Argentino Malbec 2023 blends fruit from two of Mendoza's oldest Malbec sites: the high-altitude Nicasia Vineyard in La Consulta and the pre-phylloxeric Angélica Vineyard in Lunlunta, planted around 1930. It's dense and structured, with cassis, blackberry and dark earth, mocha and spice, and a saline edge running through velvety tannins. A serious bottle for someone who wants to taste what Argentina's old vines can do.
Malbec's story in Argentina runs through vines like these. The Angélica Vineyard was planted almost a century ago, before phylloxera reached this part of Mendoza, from cuttings that trace back to a pre-phylloxeric massale selection - meaning the vines were never grafted onto resistant rootstock, a rarity anywhere in the wine world now.
This is Catena Zapata's flagship Malbec, made by wine director Alejandro Vigil and winemaker Ernesto Bajda from two vineyards picked separately and blended for the final wine. It's built for someone who already knows Malbec and wants to taste the best of what Mendoza does with it: open it for a dinner where the wine is the point, or lay a bottle down and enjoy the benefits of a few years in the cellar.
What it tastes like
Cassis and blackberry lead, with a distinct note of dark earth underneath. On the palate it's gripping and dense: mocha, dark berries and a mineral edge, with a lightly saline thread running through velvety, well-resolved tannins. It's a full-bodied wine with real structure, built to open up over an evening rather than show everything at once.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Tannin: Firm, velvety
- Oak: Aged in large-format oak foudres, so the oak sits in the background rather than adding overt vanilla or toast
- Style: Structured, old-vine, single-blend flagship Malbec
Food
Argentine-style asado or a whole roasted lamb, a char-grilled ribeye, braised short rib, venison with a dark jus, aged hard cheeses like a mature Manchego or Gouda, or mushroom risotto for something meat-free that still stands up to the tannin.
Who makes it
Catena Zapata is a fourth-generation family winery in Mendoza, led by Laura Catena, and one of the wineries most responsible for establishing Argentine Malbec as a serious, age-worthy wine rather than a bulk export grape.
The Argentino Malbec draws on two of the family's oldest sites: the Nicasia Vineyard in La Consulta, planted in 1996 at 1,095 metres, and the Angélica Vineyard in Lunlunta, planted around 1930 from ungrafted, pre-phylloxeric vines at 920 metres.
Wine director Alejandro Vigil and winemaker Ernesto Bajda give the fruit an extended cold soak before fermentation, then age the wine 15 to 18 months in a mix of 2,000-litre oak foudres and 3,000-litre concrete tanks - large formats that soften tannin without stamping the wine with oak flavour.
About the vintage
Mendoza's 2023 season opened with severe spring frosts at the end of October and start of November 2022, which cut yields across the region by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. What followed was one of Argentina's hottest, driest summers in decades, and premium regions like the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo responded by focusing hard on quality with the fruit they had left.
Alejandro Vigil described the result at Catena Zapata as "an early harvest with low yields but with unprecedented balance between the malic acidity, pH and ripeness" - grapes came in two to four weeks earlier than usual, in excellent health, with the low yields concentrating flavour rather than diluting it.
Across Mendoza, 2023 is being talked about as a vintage for the cellar: high natural acidity, moderate alcohol and real structure, the kind of year producers describe as needing patience rather than one to drink on release. It was a difficult, frost-affected season for growers throughout the region, and what came out the other side is turning out to be one of the more age-worthy vintages Mendoza has produced in recent years.
When to drink it
This is a wine built to cellar. Full-bodied, high-altitude Malbec of this style typically rewards five to fifteen years in bottle, and the 2023 vintage's concentration and acidity suggest it will be no exception; Catena Zapata hasn't published a specific drinking window for this particular release. It will also drink well now with an hour or two of decanting if you want to open it sooner.
Technical details
| Producer |
Catena Zapata |
| Wine |
Malbec Argentino |
| Vintage |
2023 |
| Variety |
100% Malbec |
| Vineyards |
Nicasia Vineyard, La Consulta, San Carlos (1,095m); Angélica Vineyard, Lunlunta, Maipú (920m) |
| Region |
Mendoza |
| Country |
Argentina |
| Alcohol |
13.6% |
| Acidity / pH |
Total acidity 6.1 g/L; pH 3.50 |
| Oak |
15–18 months in 2,000-litre oak foudres and 3,000-litre concrete tanks |
| Closure |
Not publicly specified |
| Cellaring |
Built for the cellar; full-bodied Mendoza Malbec of this style typically rewards 5 to 15 years, though Catena Zapata hasn't published a specific window for this release |
| Serving temperature |
Best served around 16-18°C, like most full-bodied reds |
Where to buy
The Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2023 is available in store at The Winery's Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine.
Questions we are often asked
What does Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2023 taste like?
It's a dense, full-bodied Malbec with cassis, blackberry and dark earth on the nose, mocha, dark berries and mineral character on the palate, a lightly saline edge and firm, velvety tannins.
What food goes with Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino?
Argentine-style asado, char-grilled steak, braised short rib, venison, aged hard cheeses, or mushroom risotto if you want something meat-free that still stands up to the tannin.
Where do the grapes for Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino come from?
It's a blend of two vineyards: the Nicasia Vineyard in La Consulta, planted in 1996 at 1,095 metres, and the Angélica Vineyard in Lunlunta, planted around 1930 from ungrafted, pre-phylloxeric vines at 920 metres.
How long will Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2023 keep?
Full-bodied Mendoza Malbec of this style typically cellars well for 5 to 15 years. Catena Zapata hasn't published a specific window for this release, but the 2023 vintage's acidity and structure point to good ageing potential.
What was the 2023 vintage like in Mendoza?
Severe spring frosts cut yields significantly, and a hot, dry summer followed. Catena Zapata's Alejandro Vigil described an early harvest with low yields but unprecedented balance between acidity, pH and ripeness, and the region's 2023 reds are generally regarded as concentrated and age-worthy.
Where can I buy Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2023?
The Winery stocks Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2023 in its Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
