Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's leading wineries, founded by Domingo Catena in 1920, and Cabernet Sauvignon is a house specialty. This Mendoza red blends Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, grown in a high-altitude continental climate under conditions more extreme than the grape's European homes. Elevation is key here: thin mountain air and intense Andean sunlight build ripe fruit and colour, while cold nights preserve acidity and slow ripening, giving the firm tannin and aromatic lift that define altitude Cabernet. The wide diurnal swing also encourages the herbal, minty character the variety can show in cooler sites. The wine ages around eight months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds cocoa and spice without masking the fruit. The colour is deep, near opaque purple-red. The nose shows blackcurrant, plum and cherry over mint, cocoa and cedar. The palate is full bodied and structured, the tannins firm and ripe, the finish long and marked by dark fruit and oak spice. Serve at 17 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It is built for grilled and roasted red meats.