2012 Catena Alta Historic Rows Malbec Mendoza

De bedste vinproducenter anføres (med god distance til nummer 2) af Nicolas Catena.

Old vine aromas of dark fruit, earth, tanned leather and Chinese tea. Full body, round and velvety tannins and an intense finish. This is made from selected old vines.

"I was truly impressed by the 2012 Catena Alta Malbec, a blend of wines produced with Malbec grapes from different zones within Mendoza. The nose shows incredible freshness (early harvest?) and a mixture of violets, blueberries and bright red cherries and is also subtly spiced. The seamless palate shows very refined tannins, a velvety texture and great acidity. It has a really tasty and lengthy finish. A triumph over the vintage. Bravo!

Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, cassis and licorice aromas are lifted by a violet note on the perfumed nose. Juicy and pungent on the palate, conveying lovely perfume and inner-mouth tension to the flavors of cranberry, licorice, minerals and flowers. Still a bit youthfully imploded but the wine's sugar/acid balance is exhilarating. Very sappy, energetic and tightly coiled. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil is trying to obtain more red fruits than black, as well as trying to preserve the elegance of Malbec florals by giving his vines more protection from intense sun. He also vinified this wine--but not his Cabernet Sauvignon--with 70% whole clusters.

Immediately appealing, this trendsetting Malbec proudly cranks out blackberry and spice aromas that are on the spot. Full and tannic on the palate, but not too fierce, this tastes of bold, earthy plum and black raspberry with savory notes kicking in. A long, tightly wound finish with well-integrated oak means this will last. Drink through 2022.

Catena Alta was the first of Catena's efforts to show the world the potential of Malbec. Almost 20 years later, Alta is a modern classic in Argentina. This vintage comes from vineyards in the historic Luján de Cuyo area, as well as new vineyards in the Uco Valley. The blend shows all the softness and sweetness of Malbec, well accompanied by the freshness and acidity common to fruit grown in high-altitude vineyards. Let this rest in the cellar for three to four years, as it needs time to gain complexity.

Vi har i tidligere tests haft problemer med at overbevise det svage køn om malbecdruens fortræffeligheder, ikke mindst i Catenafamiliens billigere udgave. Stor var overraskelsen derfor, da panelets kvindelige deltagere roste denne blæksorte kraftbasse, selvom tanninindholdet var højt. Men en stor bærkoncentration, egepræget og en charmerende fedme giver en harmonisk helhed.

Topvin fra en topproducent. Catena er garant for stor vin i den her prisklasse, og vi er da også næsten helt oppe at ringe. Næsten. I næsen animalske toner kombineret med kærnemælk og vanilje, der leder tankerne hen på koldskål. Frugten går mest i retning af blomme og kirsebær med lidt flødechokolade på siden. Smagen har lidt af de samme noter, men der kommer også noget lakrids og saltkaramel. Vinen er elegant og dygtigt lavet - og en smule poleret. Vi savner en smule mere længde og personlighed og havner derfor på fem små stjerner.

Fra 5 af Catena bedste parceller, flere i op til 1500 meters højde. En koncentreret vin med blommer, lakrids, tobak og sorte kirsebær. Stadig ung med en del tannin, men stort potentiale og pænt pakket ind i en flot syre. Lang eftersmag.

Fra 5 af Catena bedste parceller, flere i op til 1500 meters højde. En koncentreret vin med blommer, lakrids, tobak og sorte kirsebær. Stadig ung med en del tannin, men stort potentiale og pænt pakket ind i en flot syre. Lang eftersmag.