Catena "Nicolás Catena Zapata" Mendoza Proprietary Red 2020

Jeb Dunnuck : 98 Points

(5/22/2025) Red-fruited, herbal, and seamless on the palate, the 2020 Nicolas Catena Zapata is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 21% Malbec. Medium-bodied and well-integrated in terms of both oak and acidity, it has complexity throughout, offering highlights of dark chocolate, black pepper, and sagey mint. A contemplative wine that should age beautifully for another 10-15 years, it was made by Alejandro Vigil from Zapata vines to represent the original Bordeaux blend of the 18th and 19th centuries. Maturity: 2025 - 2040.

James Suckling : 98 Points

(2/24/2023) Cassis, tobacco, wet stones, iron and baking spices to the nose, showing class, restraint and complexity. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with super fine tannins. Dry, super elegant and silky with a lengthy, polished finish. Really Bordeaux-like. Juicy and long. 54% cabernet sauvignon from Gualtallary, 25% cabernet franc from Altamira and 21% malbec from both areas. The highest portion of cabernet franc this year helped retain its nervy freshness! This is classy and beautiful. Harvested on March 12th and 13th. Drink or hold.

Decanter : 97 Points

(7/31/2023) Wonderfully aromatic and nuanced on the nose, so alive and open. Energetic and lively on the palate, this has so much spark and brightness to it. Really compelling from the first sip, the tannins ample and cushioning the slick black fruit and accompanying savoury spices. Feels lean and taught, but with so much flair. Really a lovely expression, so generous and well defined. Youthful as you'd expect right now but when this softens it will be a beauty. Just gorgeous, with a minty fresh finish. Wine director Alejandro Vigil, winemaker Fernando Buscema. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2042.

Vinous - Joaquin Hidalgo : 96 Points

(6/2023) The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata is a blend composed of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc sourced from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. It was carefully aged for up to 16 months in French oak barrels. Garnet in hue. The nose reveals captivating cassis, rose, blackberry, plum and fig aromas harmoniously combined with dried flowers. The palate presents a dry and ample profile, with fine-grained tannins and a juicy flow that leads to a vibrant mouthfeel, brimming with energy. This meticulously crafted red achieves precise balance in a warm vintage. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040.

The Wine Independent : 96 Points

(8/21/2023) A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 21% Malbec, the 2020 Nicolas Catena Zapata is deep garnet-purple in color. It rolls out with vibrant notes of redcurrant jelly, cassis, and baked plums, leading to hints of crushed rocks, wild sage, and fragrant soil. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing, finely crafted, and elegantly styled, with vibrant black fruit and savory layers and a fine-grained texture, finishing with a real skip in its step. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2040.

Wine Advocate : 95 Points

(11/20/2022) 2020 was a very dry and low-yielding year, with 20% to 30% less crop, and the grapes were picked early. The 2020 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 21% Malbec, higher in Franc than ever, for the first time more than Malbec, to compensate the warm and dry conditions. The wine is ripe and very peppery, with 13.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.64. It matured in new and second-use French oak barrels for 18 months. It was a healthy crop with concentration and ripeness, and the wine comes through as powerful and quite classical, still a little oaky, with power and balance. 60,000 bottles were filled in January 2020. Drink Date: 2025-2031.