In Bond Fine Wine. 2015 Catena Zapata Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, Adrianna Vineyard, Adrianna Vineyard, Uco Valley, Argentina. Red argentina in 3x75cl. Top critic score: 96/100 (VIN). Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Founded in Mendoza in 1902, Catena Zapata is one of the defining names in modern Argentine wine. It was Nicolas Catena's belief in the potential of extreme high-altitude vineyards that transformed the family's fortunes and helped change international perceptions of Argentine fine wine. The Adrianna Vineyard, planted high in Gualtallary in the foothills of the Andes, was initially considered an audacious experiment. Today it is the source of Catena's most celebrated wines. Under Laura Catena and winemaker Alejandro Vigil, detailed research into altitude, soils and individual vineyard parcels has taken this work even further. Wines such as White Stones and White Bones are the result: tiny-production, site-specific wines that have established Adrianna as one of the world's most exciting vineyards.
Luis Gutiérrez (LG) — 96/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 29/06/2018
From what many have called a Bordelais year, the 2015 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae is slightly riper and a little lower in acidity, meaning it's more "civilized" than the previous and following vintages. All three years come from the same shallow soils that are rich in limestone and have a similar vinification and upbringing. These 2015s are more marked by the vintage than the other t…
James Suckling (JS) — 98/100 · JamesSuckling.com, 05/04/2018 · Drink 2020+
This is a phenomenal malbec with intense blue fruits such as blueberries and blackberries. Black truffle, too. Full-bodied, bright and juicy with fantastic power and richness. Yet the acidity just keeps going. Volcanic salt and white peppers. A thoroughly breathtaking wine. Try after 2020.
Stephen Tanzer (ST) — 96/100 · Vinous, 01/07/2018 · Drink 2023-2035
(14.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.4 and acidity of 7.2 grams per liter): Dark, bright ruby. Compellingly high-pitched and pure on the nose, offering scents of boysenberry, bitter chocolate, violet, crushed rock and juniper. Then wonderfully chewy and energetic, conveying outstanding inner-mouth rocky perfume and a distinct whole-cluster pungency to its flavors of boysenberry and bitter chocolate. Re…