|
NOTES
Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement.
In the late 1800s, Nicola Catena grew up the son of vineyard workers in The Marches province of Italy. Like many Italians who struggled to make ends meet at the turn of the 19th century, he boarded a ship to cross the ocean in search of a more prosperous life. Argentina was a common destination for wayward Italians and Nicola found his home in Mendoza, which was widely becoming known as a magnificent grape growing region. In 1902, he planted his first vineyard and began producing wine for the domestic market.
Nicola’s eldest son Domingo eventually took over the business and strived to expand the production of his favorite grape, Malbec. Years later, Domingo’s eldest son Nicolás (named after his grandfather) graduated from the university with a degree in economics and joined the family business in 1963. Together, they worked diligently to increase Catena’s vineyards and winemaking capacity in order to become one of Argentina's largest and most prosperous wine producing families.
Catena was one of the leading producers of Argentinean wine in terms of quantity, but it wasn’t until one day in 1982 that they began their quest to become a leader in quality wine as well.
TASTING NOTES
The Catena Malbec has a deep, dark violet colour, with pronounced blackish-purple tones. The aromatic structure is full of ripe dark fruits, floral notes of violets and lavender, and touches of vanilla and spice. The palate begins with sweet black cherry fruits and has a generous texture. There are marked mineral notes as well as layers of chocolate and spicy black pepper. The finish is soft and sweet with ripe tannins and vibrant acidity.
REVIEWS
Bright ruby-red; dark berries, graphite and nutty oak on the very ripe nose, with a distinctive peppery lift. The palate offers an almost exotic sweetness to the lush, seamless flavours of macerated dark fruits, mocha and dark chocolate. Not the last word in complexity but pliant, generous and full in the mouth, finishing with lush tannins and an almost exotic liqueur-like quality. This is drinkable already. Some tasters may find this too sweet for a Catena wine. 91 Points, Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 2009
The aromatic array displays toasty black cherry, black raspberry and violet notes leading to a smooth-textured, layered, rich wine bordering on opulence. It manages to achieve this retaining an elegant, light-on-its-feet personality. On the palate, spice notes and a hint of chocolate emerge. 91 Points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate – Issue 180 – December 2008
|
|
