Adrianna Vineyard Reds

The name of Catena is synonymous with great Argentinan wines.  Catena modernised winemaking & was the first to plant in the Uco Valley, at high altitudes of 1000 metres above sea level. 

The jewel in Catena's crown, their spectacular Adrianna vineyard at 1450m elevation is now recognised as a phenomenal terroir, one of the greatest of the Southern Hemisphere.  Adrianna is divided into 11 different plots by soil composition, including two for Chardonnay, & three single parcel Malbec reds:

• Fortuna Terrae (meaning 'luck of the land') is aromatic, delicately floral with spicy black fruit and moderate acidity.   From a 5 hectare plot.

• River / River Stones is the site of an ancient riverbed, covered in white stones. "The stone absorb heat and moderate the nights, but also function like ice cubes after a very cold night."   Stony soil Malbecs tend to be perfumed, rich and luxurious.  From a plot of 2.6 hectares.

• Mundus Bacillus Terrae.  Named 'elegant microbes of the earth'. A 1.4 hectare, of limestone layers and marine deposits, rich in microorganisms.  The highest site, with higher acidity and tighter tannins and even longer ageability.
  

These high mountain wines are fabulous expressions of Malbec, to be enjoyed young or cancan age for decades.  The Catena Institute of Wine found that at extreme altitude, sunlight intensity helps the polymerization of tannins bringing exceptionaly smoothness, and increases the violet-like florality of aromas, whilst preserving natural acidity.

Adrianna Vineyard

Catena's Historic Estate Vineyards

About the Producer
Catena in Argentina

Founded in 1902, the family-owned Catena Zapata is a hugely significant name in the history of Argentina's winemaking.  Nicolas Catena played a pioneering role, bringing Argentinian wine into the modern era and Malbec onto the world stage, and was the first to plant in high altitude sites.

An academic and third generation winemaker, Nicolas Catena was a visiting professor at UC Berkeley in the early 1980s when he was inspired by wines of being made in Napa Valley at that time, & in particular, by a visit to Robert Mondavi's Oakville winery.  Catena returned to the family winery with a vision to make world-class wine, worthy of export.  They started off by lowering yields, and bringing in new technology and expertise to radically change winemaking practices.

A lover of Bordeaux's elegant wines, Nicolas Catena searched for cooler vineyard sites with high variation in day and nighttime temperatures.  He was the first producer to purchase land in the Uco Valley in the Andean foothills, when others thought he was crazy to even try.  Laura Catena began working with her father from 1995 looking at the potential of Malbec. 

In 1995 Laura Catena joined her father at Catena Zapata.  With a scientific background as a medical doctor and a Harvard & Stanford graduate, Laura started a clonal selection project, planting at different and higher altitudes - including the Nicasia vineyard 1095m (in Altamira) & the extremely high Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary (1460m).   

Sources: 

Michael Schachner, "Dr. Nicolás Catena Zapata, Lifetime Achievement Award Winner | Wine Enthusiast’s 2021 Wine Star Awards" - Wine Enthusiast
Anthony Rose, "Catena: Argentina's most influential wine estate" World of Fine Wine.com