Bodega Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard 'Mundus Bacillus Terrae' Malbec 2011

SKU
BCMA201110 UCAU
  • This wine is only made in perfect vintages
  • ​98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  • "It goes far beyond the variety, I didn't think about Malbec, I thought about the place and forgot about the grapes." - Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
  • 1 or more bottles
    $399.00
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  • Robert Parker's
    98 points

Editors notes

The Catena Family is entering its second century of winemaking in Mendoza, Argentina. Named after Nicolás Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago. The limestone layers are well-drained and particularly rich in rhizobacteria, the microorganisms that help vine roots withstand stress and absorb nutrients. Thus, the name "mundus bacillus terrae" or "elegant microbes of the earth".

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Black Fruits
    • Earthy
    • Red Fruits
  • Palate
    • Black Fruits
    • Jammy
    • Red Fruits

Food Pairings

  • Game
  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

    98
    "The 2011 Malbec Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard is Malbec from the eponymous vineyard in Gualtallary close to 1,500 meters altitude fermented together with some Viognier exclusively from the plots where the soil is rich in calcium carbonate. The vineyard is planted at high density, 12,000 plants per hectare. If all the vintages of Adrianna are to dream about, this could be the most balanced, harmonious, elegant and mineral of them all. The sense of place here is tremendous, it transfers you to the Gualtallary vineyards at the foot of the Andes with its stony, chalky soils. There is a sense of harmony and subtlety like you rarely see. The wine dances on the tongue and seems light on its feet, yet has a hidden power and concentration that is noticeable on the finish. The flavors stay forever on the finish and the lips are salty. Otherworldy. Words do not do justice to this beauty. It goes far beyond the variety, I didn't think about Malbec, I thought about the place and forgot about the grapes. The flavors linger in your mouth forever. I'd love to encounter this wine again in ten years time."

Other vintages

Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.

Current auction

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Locations

Argentina

The wine industry in Argentina has had one of the fastest growth rates in the wine world and now claims to be the fifth largest wine producer in the world. Much like certain aspects of Argentine cuisine, the wine industry too has its roots in Spain. Vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in the 1600s. Up until the 1980s, Argentina was known for producing more 'quantity' wine over 'quality' wine, but that has changed with winemakers across the board lifting their game. There is no doubt that Malbec is the grape on which Argentina's international reputation as a wine-producing nation is founded. Whilst it is a difficult grape to grow, the climate and conditions around Mendoza and in particular the Uco Valley is ideally suited to producing world-class wine. The most popular varieties planted out in Argentina would be Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Tempranillo.

Mendoza

Mendoza is by far the largest wine region in Argentina. Located on a high-altitude plateau at the edge of the Andes Mountains, the province is responsible for roughly 70 percent of the country's annual wine production. The French grape variety Malbec has its New World home in the vineyards of Mendoza, producing red wines of great concentration and intensity.

The province lies on the western edge of Argentina, across the Andes Mountains from Chile. While the province is large (it covers a similar area to the state of New York), its viticultural land is clustered mainly in the northern part, just south of Mendoza City. Here, the regions of Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu and the Uco Valley are home to some of the biggest names in Argentinian wine.

This soil in this region is alluvial with rocky subsoil. It possesses sediments of sand, silt and clay. Its little organic matter restraints the grapevine’s growth and this results in excellent quality grapes suitable for winemaking. Malbec wines from this area hold outstanding features; red and violet tones with great intensity.

About the brand Catena Zapata

“What is pleasing is to find such a famous winery refusing to rest upon its laurels looking forward and asking themselves questions about the style of wines they produce, what ought to be the next stage of their evolution, instead of merely replicating previous successes” - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

Over the past 20 years, Nicolás and Laura Catena and their vineyard management team have worked tirelessly in the discovery, identification and development of key microclimates in the high altitude wine country of Mendoza, Argentina. Nicolás determined that the same varietal, and even the same clone, presented distinct aromatic and flavor profiles when cultivated in each of these unique microclimates. Implementing the age old art of assemblage, he found that by blending these different lots of the same varietal, he could achieve a more complex wine.

As great artists tap their creative spirit to mix and match colors in the production of magnificent works of art, this wide array of distinct lot selections allows the winemaking team at Bodega Catena Zapata to engage in a creative, intricate process of blending in order to craft the final wine.

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