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: 2020 Catena Zapata "DV Catena - Tinto Histórico" Red Blend Mendoza

2020 Catena Zapata "DV Catena - Tinto Histórico" Red Blend Mendoza

SKU #1692174 94 points Descorchados

Outer quote mark This blend of 70% malbec is primarily from Lunlunta, 23% bonarda from eastern Mendoza, and petit verdot from the Agrelo zone on the southern bank of the Mendoza River. It was aged for a little over a year in barrels of different uses and today it’s a young and energetic wine with a load of firm tannins that are very reactive on the palate and a young and somewhat wild texture that needs time, not only for those tannins to soften up, but also so that the aromas and fruity flavors gain in complexity. Patience here. Inner quote mark (1/2022)

93 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark This has aromas of brambleberries, cherries, mushrooms, lemon leaves, dried flowers and licorice. Medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins. Spicy and fleshy on the palate with delicious walnut notes on the cool, fresh finish. 75% malbec, 19% bonarda and 6% petit verdot. Drink or hold. Inner quote mark (2/2022)

93 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2020 Tinto Histórico DV Catena is a blend of 75% Malbec grapes from the Uco Valley, with 19% Bonarda from Rivadavia and 6% Petit Verdot from Agrelo, aged for up to 14 months in French barrels. Dark purple in the glass, the nose offers clear notes of ripe plum and jam, hints of blackberry and touches of herb and white pepper with secondary aromas from the aging process. Terse in the mouth with a juicy, mild freshness, the tannins almost imperceptibly structure the palate but relax their hold on the easygoing flow. This is a nuanced, eminently drinkable wine. (JH) Inner quote mark (11/2021)

K&L Notes

Domingo Vicente Catena, father of Nicolas and grandfather of Laura Catena, originally created this iconic blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Petit Verdot, selling it to the best restaurants in Buenos Aires in the 1930s and '40s. This is an honest, authentic re-imagining of a blend that highlights Malbec's delicious fruit, with Bonarda's slightly rustic brawn and Petite Verdot's color and acidity. An authentic Argentinian blend, originally crafted for locals and now available to us.

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2020 Catena Zapata "DV Catena - Tinto Histórico" Red Blend Mendoza

Price: $17.99

Quantity:

DS: 94

JS: 93

VN: 93

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Redwood City:	59
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Product Reviews:

By: Alex Schroeder | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/23/2023 | Send Email

This is the perfect wine to take to a party with your discerning wine friends. It's a unique, intriguing blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Petit Verdot from historic, high elevation vineyard sites in Mendoza that shows off an impressive bouquet of ripe red fruits, violets and stony minerality as soon as you pop it open. It's fleshy and satisfying but still medium bodied and well lifted by great acidity so that it's incredibly tempting to revisit again and again throughout the night, but priced right so that you can bring a second one to keep the party going.

By: Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/17/2023 | Send Email

Two of Argentina’s biggest exports are Tango and Malbec wine. What is interesting about both is that they were not widely accepted and embraced within Argentina until they were embraced elsewhere in the world, and now both Tango and Malbec are inseparable from the idea of Argentina for Argentines and everyone else in the world. Why am I mentioning this? The Tinto Historico is a historical style of wine that would have been drunk in Buenos Aires in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, at the time in the city when Tango was as big there as Jazz was in the United States. This brand and wine were created in homage to the winemaker's grandfather, Domingo Vicente (DV) Catena. This style of wine is what he was most famous for, not Malbec, well, it is Malbec but that is not what was important. He was famous in Buenos Aires for his lush and rich wines. This is mostly Malbec, 78%, the balance is Bonarda and a little Petit Verdot. The Bonarda brings a little more dimension to the midpalate, a darker cherry fruit tone and easy tannins. That extra little something in this wine is the Petit Verdot, it brings additional layers to the already aromatic Malbec as well as some lush tannins, bringing a little bit of rich structure to the wine. The nose is dark-fruited, mostly cherries but some darker berries. It has a lift to it, both Malbec and Petit Verdot have a floral component to them, and there is just a suggestion of spice that comes from the oak barrels that it is aged in. The palate is lush and round, all the varietals working together to make it mouth-filling with just enough tannin to give it substance without imparting any astringency. The flavors are fresh and dynamic, mostly cherries with layers of dark berries and spice. It is all too easy to drink, this does not require anything but something to drink it from but is enough here to make it easy to pair with a wide range of foods, I am still in summer mode, so my thoughts go straight to the grill…..

By: Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email

This majority Malbec blend is big, bold, and fun. On the nose, there are notes of moist soil and new leather - later overtaken by red and purple fruits and huge pepper spice. Cherry, plum, and blackberry roll throughout. The flavors on the palate are intense. However, rather than coming off as rich or over-played, everything is balanced - with darkness of fruit balanced by spice and acidity. There's great structure provided by the young tannins that helps layer the fruit tones. This is an especially good wine to lay down to age for a few years in order to let the complexity develop, but if you like wines with power and depth then don't be afraid to enjoy it now. Excellent BBQ wine!

By: Michael Pires | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email

This Argentinian red blend includes Malbec, Bonarda, and Petit Verdot, and pays homage to an old blend produced by the Catena family in the 1930s and 1940s. The nose generously shares notes of violets, plum, cocoa, and sweet tobacco. On the palate, notes of violets, red berries, plum, and leather can be found. This would be a great wine to pair with tri-tip, smoked brisket, pork butt, and mushroom dishes.

By: Scott Beckerley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/16/2023 | Send Email

This quite awesomely priced blended red has a Loudens cherry red cassis nose with anise in the background. There are also some lightly earthy scents. More plush on the palate, with deep red and black fruits, vanilla oak, semi-firm tannins, black cherries and loamy earth. A super solid release that will reward you even more with a little air time or light decanting. Should be super versatile for so many different types of food, from roasted duck to stuffed pork loin, It should also age very well for the next several years.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Malbec

- These days if you're drinking a Malbec it's probably from Argentina. The most planted grape in that country, varietally-labeled Argentine Malbecs are one of the wine market's great values, prized for their slight herbal component and dark, luscious fruit. Structurally, Argentina's Malbecs are much different than those grown in the grape's native France; they are riper, fruitier and fleshier. In France, the best iterations of Malbec can be found in the Cahors, where it can be quite decadent. It is also planted in the Loire Valley, where it is called Côt and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Gamay, and in Bordeaux, where it has fallen from favor in many of the region's great blends because it is difficult to grow. In the United States, the varietal is frequently added to Meritage wines - Bordeaux style blends - but it is rarely found on its own.

Country:

Argentina

- Argentina is regarded as one of the most dynamic wine-producing nations in the world, and possibly the most important wine-producing region in South America. Only four countries in the world produce more wine than Argentina. Considerable investments (much of which has come from famous French, Italian and California wine producers) have been made in new vineyards and winemaking technology in the past several years, which along with recent plantings of more premium varieties of grapes, has made Argentina much more competitive internationally. The Mendoza region is the most important region in Argentina's wine industry. And Malbec, among other Bordeaux varietals grown here, reigns supreme.

Alcohol Content (%):

14.5