Nicola Cantena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902 and today the estate is run by Nicholas Catena and his daughter Laura. Malbec continues to be the estates focus and the wineries pristine vineyards lie at the base of the Andes on soils of sand, lime and stone at altitudes between 920 and 1120 metres above sea level. Over the last 20 years, the fastidous vineyard work of Nicholas and Laura has paid dividends and Catena Zapata is now one of Argentina's most famous estates. Lush, beautifully created wines are what you can expect from Catena Zapata.

The juicy and young 2021 Catena Malbec has a nice combination of spice, berry and herbs to make it balanced, expressive and attractive. It's round, velvety and nicely crafted in an easy to understand and highly drinkable style and a commercial profile. A champion in drinkability. Date: Dec 2022; Drink: 2022-2026; Rating: 91 Points; Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate