Nicolas Catena Zapata 2017

Description

Behold this elegantly unforgettable Nicolas Catena Zapata! It’s a beautiful blend of Cabernet and Malbec which will enhance the meaty repast of your choice. Or, just sip it by itself to introduce yourselves to its myriad of layers and flavors. A terrific nod to the stellar fruit in the wine would be a platter of bacon-wrapped Medjool dates stuffed with a Marcona almond and a small chunk of Manchego cheese. According to the winery, the burstingly full body and depth of this Zapata will delight your diners when paired with marinated racks of lamb with a fresh tomato-mustard sauce. We also recommend a hearty dish of duck confit over lentils and sausage. And finally, if you’re serving a crowd, we can’t think of a better choice than a traditional ‘feijoada’ which has been cooked until everything is fork tender. Ours is a delicious mix of beef short ribs, boneless pork loin, stew beef, slab bacon, linguica sausage, carne seca and pork chops, all surrounding beautifully seasoned black beans. Are you hungry yet winelovers?!James Suckling: “Sweet tobacco, walnuts, blackberries and dried flowers on the nose. Full body, yet ultra-fine tannins and a super long finish. Superb finesse and polish. Drink after 2023, but already fabulous.” Apr 2021 Robert Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate: “The approachable 2017 Nicolás Catena Zapata has a little more Cabernet Franc in the blend, even if the majority is Cabernet Sauvignon and there is some Malbec. In 2017, they sourced Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira and Gualtallary, and it fermented together with the juice of the Cabernet Franc. It has a touch of ripeness in the nose but without excess; it’s balsamic, with the Cabernet dominating the aromatics. The palate comes through as really balanced and perhaps a little lighter. It has very fine tannins and a clean, focused finish. Drink date: 2019-2027.” Oct 2019Antonio Galloni’s Vinous: “Bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of blueberry, violet, licorice, spices and bitter chocolate; this really stands out among Catena’s 2017 reds for its floral character. Juicy and tightly wound but not a bit hard, communicating a distinctly primary quality to its densely packed flavors of crushed black fruits, violet, bitter chocolate and minerals. Boasts terrific energy and penetrating grip for this special bottling, finishing dense and extremely long but not at all heavy, with serious but perfectly buffered tannins saturating the tongue and teeth. This really fills the olfactories! But lay this beauty down and forget about it for three or four years. My sample retained its verve for many days in the recorked bottle. Drinking window: 2023-2031.” Sep 2019 Winery: “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 tastings against other prestigious cuvées from around the world. Nicolás Catena Zapata is made from a selection of the best lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec in the Catena Zapata Vineyards. The first Nicolás Catena Zapata was made in 1997, a phenomenal Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in Mendoza. The 1997 Nicolás Catena Zapata was released in 2000 through a series of blind tastings held in the USA and Europe where it was compared blind to Chateau Latour, Haut Brion, Solaia, Caymus and Opus One. The Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997 came in either first or second in every tasting. This wine is only produced in outstanding vintage years.” Bottle750mlVarietal59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec, 8% Cabernet FrancAlcohol13.9%Total acidity:6.0pH:3.63Aging24 months in French oak barrelsRegionMendoza, Argentina