Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Description

In the 1990s, Catena set a new standard for Argentine wine by investigating the yields from specially selected, high-altitude vineyards and identifying the individual rows that produce the best fruit. These vines undergo a careful thinning process, leaving only a select few clusters, resulting in remarkably complex, aromatic, and flavorful fruit.

With these wines, Catena Zapata continued their pioneering efforts, being the first to release Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay of this quality from Mendoza’s high-altitude wine country. The Alta wines are unfined and unfiltered. They can typically be drunk starting three years after harvest but continue to develop for another ten to twenty years.

Remington-Mendoza
Laura Catena sits at a table with a glass of wine
Malbec Grapes
Alejandro Vigil (Chief Winemaker) and Laura Catena Tasting
Malbec Clone in La Piramide Vineyard
Nicolás Catena
Bodega Catena Zapata
Bodega Catena Zapata
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Acclaim
“Lots of cherries, white pepper and spiced berries on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate with juicy berries and lightly chewy tannins. Plenty of fruit in a medium-long finish.” — James Suckling, Feb 2024
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Lot 3, La Piramide Vineyard, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.
Soil composition
Sandy-Loam
Training method
VSP
Elevation:
3,117-3,675 feet
Yield/acre:
1.2 tons
Exposure:
Northwestern
Harvest time:
Mid-April
First vintage of this wine:
1994
Bottles produced of this wine:
60,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
30 days
Varietal composition:
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation container:
Barriques and Barrels
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
16-35 days
Maceration technique:
Punchdown
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
Age of Aging Container:
New-Two years
Length of bottle aging:
24 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.5
Acidity:
6.45 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Residual sugar:
<1.8 g/L