Catena Alta Malbec 2018 | 750 ml.

JS95 JamesSuckling.com Thursday, April 2, 2020

"Beautiful blackberries and green tea with some blueberries. Medium body with beautiful balance, freshness and whole-berry sensibility and brightness. Subtle and sophisticated. Drink or hold." (95 pts.)

SP91 Wine Spectator Mar 31, 2022

"Well-structured and juicy, with dark cherry and plum tart flavors that feature firm tannins and acidity. The spicy finish offers baker’s chocolate notes and peppery hints. Drink now through 2024. 13,500 cases made, 3,500 cases imported." (91 pts.)

RP93 Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 31st Mar 2021

"The 2018 Catena Alta Malbec shows more evolution and ripeness than the 2019. It’s varietal and floral with a mixture of red and black fruit, sweet spices and aromatic herbs. It has moderate ripeness — in fact, it’s a little lower in alcohol than the 2019 — a medium body and fine-grained tannins, with good grip. 162,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2019." (93 pts.)

WS90 Wine & Spirits 10/21

"This is a selection of individual blocks from the Catena vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. Each block ferments separately on indigenous yeasts, with lees stirring to stabilize it and reduce the addition of sulfur. Eighteen months of oak aging leaves an impression that dampens the finish, but the beginning is spring-like and vivacious, like a meadow in bloom. It’s got the firmness to match up with summer sausage and hard cheeses on a picnic." (90 pts.)

VN92 Vinous Oct 2020

"A Malbec from Mendoza made from a selection of parcels in different terroirs in Primera Zona and the Uco Valley that spent 18 months in French oak, this is complexity in a bottle. The ripe, layered, evolving nose delivers plum and violet notes followed by a hint of acidic cherry over a woody backdrop. Fleshy on the palate, it offers the good grip and volume typical of Malbec as part of a satisfying combination that also includes a terse texture and juicy freshness." (92 pts.)