2011 Catena Zapata Malbec Mundus Bacillus Terrae Adrianna Vineyard

The 2011 Adrianna Malbec includes a small percentage of both Cabernet Franc and Viognier. This was made in a cooler year, but still has the herbal, almost Mediterranean character of the vineyard, underpinned by chalky freshness and palate length. Drink: 2015-22

The 2011 Adrianna Malbec includes a small percentage of both Cabernet Franc and Viognier. This was made in a cooler year, but still has the herbal, almost Mediterranean character of the vineyard, underpinned by chalky freshness and palate length. Drink: 2015-22

Multi-layered bouquet of fresh herbs and black cherries laced with subtle orange peel and delicate minerality. Complex, full-bodied Malbec packed with minerals, ripe cherry fruit and soft, round tannins on the finish. There is wonderful aging potential in this remarkable Malbec of pure, long-lasting flavors.

Bright blueberry and raspberry aromas that pop out of the glass. Full and very soft with round tannins and a sexy finish. Exuberant but not heavy. Drink or hold.

The 2011 Malbec Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard is Malbec from the eponymous vineyard in Gualtallary close to 1,500 meters altitude fermented together with some Viognier exclusively from the plots where the soil is rich in calcium carbonate. The vineyard is planted at high density, 12,000 plants per hectare. If all the vintages of Adrianna are to dream about, this could be the most balanced, harmonious, elegant and mineral of them all. The sense of place here is tremendous, it transfers you to the Gualtallary vineyards at the foot of the Andes with its stony, chalky soils. There is a sense of harmony and subtlety like you rarely see. The wine dances on the tongue and seems light on its feet, yet has a hidden power and concentration that is noticeable on the finish. The flavors stay forever on the finish and the lips are salty. Otherworldy. Words do not do justice to this beauty. It goes far beyond the variety, I didn't think about Malbec, I thought about the place and forgot about the grapes. The flavors linger in your mouth forever. I'd love to encounter this wine again in ten years time.

(from vines planted at 5,000 feet on soil rich in rock and limestone; despite the high altitude, this site is only slightly cooler than the Nicasia Vineyard as it's situated a bit farther to the north): Bright ruby with violet highlights. The tight nose communicates a medicinal reserve to the aromas of black cherry, minerals and violet. A juicy, tight, limestone- influenced wine with almost painful intensity to its dark berry and floral flavors. Less sweet and glossy than the Nicasia, with the medicinal quality carrying through on the palate. Finishes with a firm spine of tannins that call for patience; this very backward wine will be slow to unfold. My sample held up brilliantly for days in the recorked bottle.

Very suave and plush, offering concentrated red currant and dark plum flavors that feature cedar, savory and paprika notes, with fresh-crushed white pepper accents on the crisp finish. Drink now through 2020.-K.M.