Vertical Tasting of the Nicolás Catena Zapata 1997-2012

BY STEPHEN TANZER | OCTOBER 12, 2016

I have written on numerous occasions about the inconsistent record that Argentina’s wines have had for aging. Even today, too many Malbec bottlings in particular are attractive upon release but don’t go anywhere interesting in bottle. Some rapidly lose their freshness. But the wines from Bodega Catena Zapata, including the Chardonnays, have established an impressive track record for longevity—not to mention positive development in bottle. The Nicolás Catena Zapata wine is Exhibit A. My vertical tasting in New York in September went back to the first release, the 1997, and only one of my bottles—the 2000—was clearly past its peak. Even the earliest vintages showed claret-like complexity and finesse of texture. Most impressive, the high quality of this special bottling has been remarkably consistent from year one.

The Early History of the Winery 

Nicolás Catena’s grandfather Nicola, who arrived in Argentina from Italy in 1898, planted Malbec in Argentina in 1902. Under the direction of Nicola’s son Domingo, the Catena family became one of Argentina’s largest vineyard holders during the first half of the 20th century. But by the 1960s, the winery was struggling, as Argentina’s economy was in desperate shape and inflation was soaring.

Domingo’s son Nicolás took over the family business in the 1960s and focused on improving distribution within Argentina during the ‘70s. When Argentina’s political and economic situation was particularly gloomy in the early ‘80s (Argentina’s war with England over the Falkland Islands took place in 1982), Catena left to become a visiting professor of economics at the University of California-Berkeley (he had previously earned a PhD in Economics in Mendoza and a Master’s degree later on at Columbia University). While there, he regularly visited California wineries, especially in Napa Valley, and he returned to Argentina obsessed with the idea of making wines that could compete with the best in the world.