2022 Catena - Malbec Mendoza (750ml)
2022 Catena – "High Mountain Vines" Malbec Mendoza (750ml)
The wine that put Argentina on the world map — and still one of the greatest values in Malbec anywhere on the planet. Rated 92 Points by James Suckling, the 2022 Catena High Mountain Vines Malbec is a benchmark expression from one of Mendoza's most pioneering and storied families. Nicolas Catena was one of the first to recognize the extraordinary potential of Mendoza's high-altitude mountain vineyards for producing world-class Malbec, and in 1994 became the first Argentine to export a truly world-class bottling of the variety — forever changing how the wine world viewed Argentina.
Sourced and blended from the family's high-altitude estate vineyards in Maipú, Luján de Cuyo, Tupungato, and San Carlos, this is a wine built on decades of meticulous terroir research and sustainable farming. An extensive cold maceration extracts maximum aromatic intensity, followed by wild yeast fermentation and six to eight months of aging in a careful selection of French oak barrels. Deep violet in the glass with purple reflections, the nose is inviting and classically Mendocino — crushed plums, blueberries, violets, and a faintly herbal, mineral backdrop. On the palate it is plush, juicy, and beautifully balanced, with silky tannins, bright acidity, and a rich, satisfyingly long finish of dark fruit and subtle spice. Crowd-pleasing and versatile, yet with the depth and structure to reward cellaring