Catena Zapata • Malbec Adrianna Fortuna Terrae 2016

Über die Bodega Catena Zapata

Die Bodega Nicolas Catena Zapata ist das älteste und prestigeträchtigste Weingut Südamerikas. Bereits vor 108 Jahren von dem italienischen Auswanderer Nicolas Catena gegründet, steht es unbestritten an der Spitze des argentinischen und südamerikanischen Weinbaus.

1982 erfolgte mit der Übernahme des Weinguts durch den Enkel Nicolas Catena Zapata der Sprung in die international Weltspitze. Seitdem zählt Catena Zapata zu den höchstprämierten Weingütern der Welt und produziert unbestritten den besten Malbec der Welt.

Über die Adrianna Vineyards

Die Adrianna Vineyards stellen eine Superlative unter den Weingütern der Welt dar: Mit über 1500m Meereshöhe stellen sie das höchstgelegene Weinbaugebiet der Welt dar, in dem Spitzenweine erzeugt werden. Ableger der besten Malbec-Reben des tiefer gelegenen Angelica Vineyards wurden in Adrianna verpflanzt. Anfangs belächelt und nunmehr bewundert hielt Nicolas an seinem Plan fest, den besten Cool Climate Malbec zu erzeugen, überzeugt davon, dass nur in kühlem Terroirs der Malbec seine ganze Brillanz entfaltet. Und er solle recht behalten. Die Adrianna Vineyard Malbecs stehen nun an der Spitze und überflügelten sogar den "regulären" Nicolas Catena Zapata Malbec", den eigentlichen Grand Cru Argentiniens.

"Every year that passed I began to believe more in my father's theory that the greatest things in life come from luck rather than from planning or intelligence. For how lucky had my father been that he set out to find cool climate and ended up with extraordinary soils ideal for making balanced wines, and increased tannins - the main conduit to ageability - from sunlight."

Wenn Sie mehr über die faszinierenden Weine und die beeindruckende Geschichte des Weinguts wissen möchten, besuchen Sie doch einfach den Online-Auftritt von Catena Zapata.

Über den Wein Adrianna Fortuna Terrae 2016

Der Malbec Fortuna Terrae 2016 ist im Gegensatz zum River Stones aus Reben, deren Wurzeln in lehmigem nud kargem Grasgelände fußen. Dadurch bekommt er feine mineralische Töne, die ihn zu dem ausgewogensten Malbec der Adrianna Vineyard Serie machen. Im Wine Advocate #237 vergab Parker's Verkoster für argentischen Wein Luis Gutiérrez die Höchstnote für diesen einmaligen Wein:

100/100 Punkte

Der Wortlaut der Lobeshymne lautet:

Cropped from a cooler and wetter year, the 2016 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae was bottled with six months less time in oak than in other years. The wines are somehow "lighter" and more mineral, and they didn't want the oak to mark them. This comes from deeper soils that deliver more fruit, and of the three reds from Adrianna, this is always the one that shows more gentle, approachable and open, with more fruit up front. There are some notes of tobacco and spices. Considering how young the wine is and the fact that it will not be released for another year, the wine is going to be immediately appealing on release but should also develop nicely in bottle. The 2016 is the most complete of the three vintages I tasted together—2014, 2015 and 2016. They bottled some 5,000 bottles in March 2018.

I tasted a very large collection of wines from Catena Zapata. All of these wines are highly recommendable, but the wines from the Adrianna Vineyard range are truly gobsmacking good and world class. I had the chance to taste slowly through three vintages of the three reds and two of the whites, and it made a fascinating comparison. The profile is austere and mineral, and sometimes they take time to open up. They are, of course, very young wines destined for a long life in bottle. The quality is extremely high, and it's a matter of preference as to which plot or vintage style you like best. 2014 is austere and a bit herbal, 2015 showed a little riper and 2016 seems to be the most complete of the three, with super sharp, linear whites and austere reds for the long haul. The 2014s were released a while ago, the 2015s are arriving on the market right now and the 2016s will take about one more year to hit the shelves. I'm talking reds, as the whites should be released by December 2018.

Just as I saw last time, the Appellation range is clearly the sweet spot, especially in 2016, when the wines clearly overdeliver. And it is impressive how the character of each wine is maintained and identifiable in every vintage.