2009 Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna Vineyard

The 2009 Adrianna Vineyard Malbec is 30% whole cluster and 70% whole berry fruit, whereby the early picked Malbec is co-fermented with Viognier. It is raised in 60% new French oak for 18 to 24 months depending on the lot and undergoes 180 separate row micro-vinifications. It has a complex bouquet of blackberry, chalk dust, leather and the scent of an old English stately home. The palate is medium-bodied with a very taut, focused, tense entry. This has wonderful vivacity and outstanding minerality, the finish doing that rare thing of transporting you to its place, that is to say, high up in the Andes. You will be hard pressed to find a better Malbec than this. Drink now-2025+

Bright medium ruby. Tighter on the nose than the Nicasia bottling, hinting at black fruits and flowers. Then surprisingly smooth and suave in the mouth, with great class to the dark berry, game and bitter chocolate flavors. Penetrating minerality contributes to the impression of precision and verve. Finishes smooth and classically dry, with noble, mouthcoating tannins and superb persistence. I applaud winemaker Alejandro Vigil's use of cabernet franc to contribute perfume to these immensely rich malbec bottlings and wonder why more estates don't do this.

This dark, pure red features bright acidity to prop up the dark plum skin, cassis and wild berry notes that weave throughout layered flavors of spice, mesquite and underbrush. Mouthcoating, with a long, structured finish.