Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

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Wine Description

In the mid-nineties, in an effort to produce a super-premium wine, the winemaking team of Catena began an in-depth investigation into the yields from specially selected, high altitude vineyards, identifying the individual rows that produce the best fruit. Catena Alta is an assemblage of these historic rows within the Catena family’s estate vineyards. The blend of these rows, like the blend of musical notes that compose a symphony, creates a wine that is layered and complex, concentrated yet nuanced.

Before the world recognized Argentina as “Malbec Country,” Bodega Catena Zapata was known for its old world style Cabernet Sauvignon born in the clay soils of Agrelo. The family cherishes its historic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Agrelo and Tupungato particularly for the ageability and classic varietal characteristics of the wines produced from their grapes.

Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Block 3 of the La Pirámide Vineyard in the Agrelo district of Luján de Cuyo, Block 2 of the Domingo Vineyard in the Villa Bastías district of Tupungato, and Block 2 of the Nicasia Vineyard in the Altamira district of San Carlos in the southern end of the Uco Valley.

Laura Catena sits at a table with a glass of wine

Alejandro Vigil (Chief Winemaker) and Laura Catena Tasting

"The bouquet is understated at first, drawing you in and then building with aeration, fomenting blackberry, wild hedgerow, wild strawberry and smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins on the entry. It is imbued with fine tension and focus, leading to a complex finish of blackberry, soy, tobacco, orange peel and graphite. It is imbued with a sense of classicism, especially on the dry, bell pepper-tinged finish, which exhibits great length. Superb."
— Neal Martin, Oct 2012

“Dark red. Perfumed aromas of currant, violet, licorice and graphite, plus a whiff of chorizo. Sweet, fine-grained and quite firm; in a very suave, elegant style. Finishes with excellent breadth, a fine coating of dusty tannins and terrific persistence.”
— International Wine Cellar, Mar 2013

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Vineyard name

The La Pirámide (Block 3), Domingo (Block 2), and Nicasia (Block 1)

Vineyard size

N/A acres

Soil composition

Depending on vineyard: Sand, loam, clay and limestone, Surface stones.

Training method

VSP

Elevation:

3,117 - 3,675 feet

Vines/acre:

Varies depending on site

Yield/acre:

1.2 ton tons

Exposure:

Northwestern

Harvest time:

Mid-April

First vintage of this wine:

1994

Varietal composition:

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Fermentation container:

Small format fermentation, French oak roll fermentor barrels of 600 liters, stainless steel tanks of 500 liters and bins of 300 liters.

Length of alcoholic fermentation:

16 days

Maceration technique:

Manual Punching Down

Malolactic fermentation:

Yes

Type of aging container:

Barriques

Size of aging container:

225 L

Type of oak:

French oak

Length of aging before bottling:

18 months

Age of Aging Container:

70% New

pH level:

3.74

Acidity:

5.6 g/L

Alcohol:

14 %

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POS MATERIALS

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Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

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