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Now Viewing: Catena Family Wines
Welcome to the Catena Family Wines... My father Nicolas Catena and I warmly invite you to visit our winery, Bodega Catena Zapata, located in the foothills of the majestic Argentine Andes.My family has been making wines in Argentina for four generations. We have been growing Malbec, the famed Argentine varietal, since 1902 when my Italian great-grandfather Nicola Catena planted his first vineyard in Mendoza.In the 1980’s, my father was inspired by other pioneering winemakers around the New World who believed their terroir could yield wines as great as those of the Old World. At that time, nobody else in Argentina thought that this would be possible. Daring to go where no one had gone before (such as planting malbec in Gualtallary – Adrianna vineyard – at 1500 m. elevation), we spent 10 years studying the high altitude terroir of Mendoza. We found that the desert soils, cool night temperatures and intense sunlight of high-altitude Mendoza provided the ideal setting for growing low yields of greatly concentrated and aromatic grapes. Our five vineyards, Angelica, Adrianna, Domingo, La Piramide and Altamira are divided into small lots that are all harvested and vinified separately. The average age of our vineyards is 28 years; they are pruned and harvested by hand. Winemaking is by gravity, using traditional French methods and all grapes are hand sorted by a team of 18 people before entering the wine presses. This year we received a great honor from the famed American wine critic, Mr. Robert Parker. We were the only South American winery to be included in his book of the 175 Greatest Wine Estates in the World. My father and I hope that our wines – Nicolas Catena Zapata, Catena Alta and Catena - will inspire you to come see us in Mendoza. After visiting our high altitude mountain vineyards, I am sure that you will appreciate our passion for Mendoza and for a century-old family tradition. Sincerely, Laura Catena
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