The Catena family’s vision has been to uncover those magical places in each of the family’s vineyards that offer the purest expression of the land. Farming these special lots manually, hand-tending each of the vines, has led to the identification of individual plants which consistently produce the most exceptional fruit. These Zapata vines have been physically marked with a red sash, ensuring the most demanding attention to detail in their care. Harvested separately in multiple passes through the vineyard, the grapes are then loaded by hand into French oak barrels for a long, cool fermentation with cap management being done by hand. Over 200 separate micro-fermentations are done, separated by different lots and harvest times. The wine is then aged in French oak for 24 months followed by an additional 24 months in bottle. The inaugural 1997 vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America when it won a series of blind tasting against First Growth Bordeaux and other prestigious cuvées from around the world.