Catena Zapata's Birth of Cabernet 2022 blends two of Mendoza's historic sites, Angélica Sur in San Carlos and La Pirámide in Agrelo, into a 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc red wine that is built for the cellar. Tobacco, black olive and cedar sit around dark fruit, with dusty, well-built tannins and a long finish. A serious bottle for someone who wants a structured, age-worthy Cabernet from Argentina's oldest plantings of it.
Cabernet Sauvignon is itself a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, something scientists only confirmed with DNA testing in the 1990s, long after grape growers had figured out to plant it everywhere. Catena Zapata built this wine's name and label around that origin story, and its fruit comes from two of the vineyards behind Mendoza's earliest serious Cabernet plantings.
This is a full-bodied wine made by wine director Alejandro Vigil, who has called the 2022 growing season one of the best he's seen for quality in Mendoza. It's built for someone who wants a structured Cabernet to lay down, or to open now with something rich and slow-cooked.
What it tastes like
Tobacco, black olive and cedar lead, with dark fruit sitting underneath and a savoury edge running through the whole glass. The palate is full and structured, with dusty, well-defined tannins that build across the finish rather than fading, and the wine carries on long after the last sip. This is a wine built to be taken seriously rather than one to drink lightly.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Tannin: Firm, dusty, structured
- Oak: Aged in French oak across first, second and third use barrels, so the wood supports the structure without dominating the fruit
- Style: Structured, age-worthy, old-vine-influenced Cabernet blend
Food
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, a char-grilled ribeye, braised beef cheek, venison with a juniper jus, aged hard cheeses like a mature cheddar or Manchego, or a rich mushroom and lentil ragu if you want 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 serious, age-worthy Argentine wine on the world stage. Birth of Cabernet draws on two of the family's historic sites: Angélica Sur Vineyard in San Carlos, at 1,100 metres in the Uco Valley, and La Pirámide Vineyard in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, at 950 metres - both associated with some of the region's earliest serious Cabernet plantings. The fruit is picked by hand and fermented across concrete eggs, small stainless-steel tanks and French oak roll-fermentors, then aged 18 to 24 months in French oak. The 2022 vintage's bottle design also won Best Design and Packaging for Wine at the 2025 Drinks Business Awards, a recognition of the presentation rather than what's in the glass.
About the vintage
Mendoza's 2021-22 growing season opened with a cool, dry spring and low snowmelt, which put pressure on water supply through the season. Five separate frosts struck between October and November, hitting the Uco Valley and the lower parts of Luján de Cuyo hardest, and cut yields across the province by around 10 percent on average, with some areas down as much as 25 percent.
Despite the frost damage, the fruit that made it through ripened with good sugar concentration alongside strong acidity and phenolic development, which is exactly what a structured red like this needs. Alejandro Vigil, Catena Zapata's wine director, called it "one of the best I've seen in terms of quality," adding that he expects the vintage to be remembered as one of the best of recent years.
Across Mendoza, reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec were singled out as the strongest performers of the vintage, with good colour, concentration and structure pointing to real ageing potential - good news for a wine built specifically to reward the cellar.
Critic scores and ratings
- 96 POINTS – James Suckling
When to drink it
This is a wine built to cellar. Full-bodied Mendoza Cabernet blends of this style typically reward eight to fifteen years in bottle, and the concentration and structure from the 2022 vintage support that; Catena Zapata hasn't published a specific drinking window for this release. Give it an hour or two of decanting if you'd rather open it sooner.
Technical details
| Producer |
Catena Zapata |
| Wine |
Birth of Cabernet |
| Vintage |
2022 |
| Variety |
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc |
| Vineyards |
Angélica Sur Vineyard, San Carlos, Uco Valley (1,100m); La Pirámide Vineyard, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo (950m) |
| Region |
Mendoza |
| Country |
Argentina |
| Alcohol |
13.5% |
| Oak |
18–24 months in French oak, first, second and third use barrels |
| Closure |
Cork |
| Cellaring |
Built for the cellar; full-bodied Mendoza Cabernet of this style typically rewards 8 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 Birth of Cabernet 2022 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 Birth of Cabernet 2022 taste like?
It's a full-bodied red with tobacco, black olive and cedar on the nose, dark fruit underneath, dusty, well-structured tannins and a long finish.
What food goes with Birth of Cabernet?
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, char-grilled ribeye, braised beef cheek, venison, aged hard cheeses, or a rich mushroom and lentil ragu if you want something meat-free that still stands up to the tannin.
Why is it called Birth of Cabernet?
Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, confirmed by DNA testing in the 1990s. Catena Zapata built this wine's name and story around that origin, and its fruit comes from two vineyards tied to some of Mendoza's earliest serious Cabernet plantings.
What is Birth of Cabernet made from?
It's a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, sourced from the Angélica Sur Vineyard in San Carlos and the La Pirámide Vineyard in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.
How long will Catena Zapata Birth of Cabernet 2022 keep?
Full-bodied Mendoza Cabernet blends of this style typically cellar well for 8 to 15 years. Catena Zapata hasn't published a specific window for this release, but the 2022 vintage's concentration and structure point to good ageing potential.
Where can I buy Catena Zapata Birth of Cabernet 2022?
The Winery stocks Catena Zapata Birth of Cabernet 2022 in its Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
