Wine & Words

Bodega Catena Zapata
Founding grandfather Nicola Catena sailed from Italy in 1898 to avoid the famine there and decided he had found a wine grower's paradise amid the scrubby desert of Mendoza, Argentina. Nicola had a vision of high altitude vineyards watered by snow melt from the peaks of the Andes, and in 1902 he planted his first Malbec grapes. Malbec had been a blending grape in Bordeaux, but it was very subject to damage from the phyloxera mite that was decimating European vineyards. Nicola believed the grape would flourish in Mendoza.
Two generations later, Nicola's grandson Nicolas (Decanter magazine's "Man of the Year 2009" for "changing the direction of Argentina's wine industry")  had left Argentina to become a professor of economics at UC Berkeley. While he was in California, he and his wife spent a lot of time learning about the vineyards of Napa. Then, on the death of his father Domingo, he returned to Mendoza to pick up the family business.  As a tribute to his late father, Nicolas worked tirelessly to find just the right clones of Malbec and just the right high alttitude valley in which to grow them. His goal was to change the perception of Argentina as a maker of gallons of cheap jug wine into a maker of world class premium wines. Now Nicola's daughter Laura is the 4th generation of Catena to make lovely wines in Mendoza. Her  Catena Malbec 2006 is a big, succulent wine with layers of complexity that pairs it well with my favorite things from juicy steak to dark chocolate.
"Enticing, with lots of mocha, fruitcake, raspberry and boysenberry flavors stretched over a lengthy, fleshy finish. A delicious, fruit-driven version. Drink now through 2010." 91 Points, Wine Spectator
"The aromatic array displays toasty black cherry, black raspberry and violet notes leading to a smooth-textured, layered, rich wine bordering on opulence. It manages to achieve this retaining an elegant, light-on-its-feet personality. On the palate, spice notes and a hint of chocolate emerge." 91 Points, Wine Advocate
If you don't know what the great winemakers of Mendoza are doing with the Malbec grape, here's an excellent place to start.
The Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ) is from a much more familiar Bordeaux-origin grape, the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon. If you're used to this grape from Napa or Bordeaux, this Catena version is a great introduction to the southern hemisphere style. It has full fruit on top of its very soft tannins, so it's easy to drink early. This four-year-old is ready now to pair with hearty beef dishes (that's all they eat in Argentina). Come in and try it. It may become your favorite wine to go with the smoky entrees you pull from your grill.