“When all is said and done, Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference – the standard of excellence for comparing all others.” - Wine Advocate

And this is their most prized wine.

A singular expression of the very best that’s possible. In a sneaky, pocket-sized 375ml split!

98 from Suckling. 95 from Vinous. Another 95 from Wine Enthusiast. And a pair of 94s from Decanter and Wine & Spirits. Considering the quality here, the price - make that OUR price (nearly 40% OFF) - seems unimaginable.

Catena Zapata reigns supreme in the Argentine winemaking world. And this, their flagship Malbec, well it might be the greatest example of the varietal in the world. It towers above the simpler, one-dimensional offerings. Crushes top Cabernet, pummeling many a First Growth into submission.

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous calls Argentino “a knockout” because “this bottling represents the best just a handful of selected barrels from a high-altitude planting of vines more than 70 years old.”

Laura Catena outdid herself here. The label is something else. We’ve never passed a bottle around to share and study with such wide-eyed scrutiny. It depicts four females who represent the variety’s history in France and its rise in Argentina over centuries. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of Malbec. The Immigrant symbolizes the movement to the New World. ‘Phylloxera’ personifies the death of Malbec. And Adrianna Catena represents Bodega Catena Zapata and the rebirth of Malbec in their high-altitude plantings.

But the wine?! THE WINE. Sourced from 100yr old vineyards at a staggering 3,500 feet elevation, it exudes Bordeaux like structure and polish. At its core you find abundant blueberry and plum encircled by fascinating and pronounced minerality. The complexity unravels further - roasting caramel, touch of bell pepper, spices, exotic wood, fresh tanned leather, turned earth. It’s all there, with insane complexity, depth, and a lithe weightlessness that’s hard to comprehend.

A proper decanting is recommended, or even better, let this lay down for a few years. It has a VERY long road ahead but as the Wine & Spirits review so accurately noted “it’s hard to feel too bad about opening a bottle now when the wine tastes this good.” Damn straight!

Thanks to our tight relationship with Catena, we managed to get a tiny allocation, and if you’re among the lucky ones reading this it’s yours at the world’s lowest price by a WIDE margin.

Make your move.

98 Points - James Suckling - “Perfumed and seductive nose of purple plums, blueberries, dried roses, violets, lemon zest, chocolate, truffles and cigar box. It’s full-bodied, yet so elegant and weightless. Seamless, finely knit tannins. Beautiful, lengthy finish. Try from 2024.

95 Points - Vinous “The 2020 Malbec Argentino Catena Zapata from Lunlunta and Paraje Altamira, Mendoza was made in roll fermenters and spent 18 months in used barrels. A vivid purple in the glass. The nose features ripe blackberry, plum, raisins, tobacco and unexpected violet notes before a secondary layer of aromas from the aging process and a whiff of strawberry. Creamy and smooth on the palate with an indulgent opening leading into a broad, voluminous flow, this is a complex, velvety wine in which the luxury is balanced by the freshness. A superb Mendoza Malbec.

95 Points - Wine Advocate “The 2020 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino follows the path of the 2019, harvested early and fermented with 100% full clusters in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak vats and some barrels for 12 to 18 months. It’s juicy, powerful and with abundant tannins and a slight earthiness. It’s a little more voluptuous and mixes grapes from Angélica (Lunlunta) and some from Nicasia (Altamira). 45,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021.”

94 Points - Decanter “Ambitious, quite spicy, with well-defined blackberry, plum, juniper and rosemary. Silky, supple and with perfumed oak, this is an appealing yet serious style of Malbec. Nominated by Cesar Soler.”

94 Points - Wine & Spirits “This wine hails from a mass selection of ungrafted malbec planted during the 1920s in the Angélica Vineyard; the original plant material arrived from France before that country’s 19th century bout with phylloxera. It ferments in new French oak, including 20 percent as whole bunches, pointing up the purple-blue-black fruit complexity that grounds the wine while an airy, coffee-like edge adds levity. Rich and intense but not heavy, this will reward years of cellaring, but it’s hard to feel too bad about opening a bottle now when the wine tastes this good.”