The Catena wines are a special assemblage of High Mountain Estate Vineyards made by fourth generation vintner, Laura Catena and chief winemaker, Alejandro Vigil. Although we have found that most of the Catena wines are consumed shortly after release, we are pleased to see that they age beautifully for ten to twenty years. Through decades of study and exploration within Mendoza's high altitude mountain terroirs, the Catena family has identified special locations for its Estate vineyards. From the marriage of these historic vineyards emerges a wine of unique character that has natural balance, concentration and a distinct varietal identity. In 1898, Nicola Catena left his homeland of Italy, and sailed for the land of plenty and opportunity: Argentina. It wasn't long before Nicola planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. Although traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Nicola believed in the potential of Malbec as a single varietal wine, and suspected that it might uncover its hidden splendour in the cooler climes of the Andes. Flash forward a few decades, to where Nicola's grandson, Nicolas Catena Zapata, has taken over the management of the business. He sold off the bulk producing parts of the company, focusing instead on producing premium Mlabec and Cabernet. To that end, he began searching for the best sites in Mendoza to plant. In 1992, he settled on Gualtallary Alto - the highest and moste Western part of Tupungato. Today, the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata are sourced from six historic estate vineyards: Angélica, La Pirámide, Nicasia, Domingo, Adrianna and Angélica Sur.

Opening with dense blackberry/boysenberry fruit and a black olive savouriness the aromas then shift to reveal lifted qualities of purple florals and fragrant sweet spice. The palate shows a lovely weight and concentration of fruit, balanced by a charming elegance and finesse. Not at all shy on tannins (integrated and ripe).

Nicolás Catena Zapata planted the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary with a single goal in mind: to find the coolest location for growing vines in Mendoza. Originally, viticulturists feared that Bordeaux varieties such as Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon would not ripen in Adrianna. In terms of the Winkler classification, a method developed in California to add degrees and categorize regions according to their climate, the weather at Adrianna is between zone 1 and zone 2 depending on the year, putting it between Burgundy and a very cool part of Bordeaux. Even so, no French woman would dare to plant Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec in Burgundy. Yet that is exactly what the Catenas did in the high-altitude soils of Adrianna. Nicolás planted the Adrianna Vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay cuttings from France, and with Malbec taken from Lot 18 of his 75-year-old Angélica vineyard. Over the next few years the wines consistently proved to have more minerality and more acidity than wines from other sites in the Southern Uco Valley at lower altitudes—sites such as Altamira, La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos. The Adrianna Malbecs have more grip and denser tannins. Fortuna Terrae means luck of the land in Latin, and indeed, then vines from this parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard are lucky. The deep loamy soils are home to many varieties of native grasses which prevent erosion and attract beneficial insects, singing birds and mountain foxes. Because of the freshness imparted by the deep soils and high altitude, the wines of Fortuna Terrae have optimal acidity and delicate flower aromas. It is best to enjoy this wine a few years or decades after harvest. This cuvée takes its name from a small parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard that is completely covered with oval white stones and was the site of an ancient riverbed. The abundant stones provide optimal drainage and extreme temperatures. They absorb heat and moderate the nights, but also function like ice cubes after a very cold night. Stony soil Malbecs tend to be extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious, just like the River Malbec from Adrianna. This wine can be enjoyed young or aged for decades.

Château du Cèdre is widely regarded as the leading estate in Cahors. Brothers Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe, both qualified oenologists, can trace its history back to their grandfather Léon who left his native Flanders to settle in south-west France in the early 1900s. In due course Léon’s son Charles and his wife Marie-Thérèse started a mixed farm in 1958 and began planting one hectare of vines in three different plots every year. Today, Château du Cèdre comprises 27ha of vineyards planted at 4000-5500 vines per hectare on some of the most prized terroirs in Cahors, most notably the famous troisième + 4th terrasses which are located just below the cliffs of the valley. These sites typically have more limestone terroir giving great freshness and while the most prized of these terraces are the 4th terraces which make up just 2% of Cahors, Chateau du Cedre owns 55% of these very best terraces. In keeping with the long history of Cahors, 90% of the vineyard is planted to Malbec (known locally as both Cot and Auxerrois), with 5% Merlot (now known to be a half-sibling of Malbec) and 5% Tannat. There is also 1ha of Viognier and a little of the Bordeaux whites, Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc. For the 2015 vintage of Château du Cèdre Cahors Extra Libre Le Cèdre Malbec, the fruit has been certified organically grown, completely destemmed, and fermented in concrete tanks for a total of 30 days without the use of any sulphur. Again without sulphur, aged for 18 months in large oak barrels. This wine is vegan-friendly and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Aromas of violets, spice, ripe blueberries and boysenberry, with hints of mocha oak. The palate shows fresh fruits of red cherry, fresh cranberries with savoury chalky tannins which give length and finesse.

Built in 1898, Terrazas's winery was built by Sotero Arizu, one of the pioneers in the creation of the wine production market in Argentina. The oldest vineyard Las Compuertas was planted in 1929, designed to produce the ultimate expression of Malbec. Today, Argentina dominates the world in Malbec production and has helped popularize the grape around the world. Surrounded by the high peaks of the Andes, Terrazas's vineyard is located in the heart of Mendoza's Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley. With the extremely high altitude, low rainfall and rocky soil, wines made in the region are pushed hard for hydration and nutrients. The results of successful wine in this region develop intensely vivid flavours. The climate also assists in lowering acidity, which assists in the winemakers in producing the purest expression of each wine.

Medium purple hue. Ripe blackberry & black cherry with hints of fresh tobacco. Upfront, it is all juicy and dark fruited - ripe plum, tangy blueberry with a touch of ribena sweetness - but to follow, a hint of smoky cured meatiness and fine chalky tannin serve to make the finish savoury yet muy refrescante. Fermented in open stainless steel vats on skins for 14 days. Gentle pressing off skins via airbag press. The brainchild of Guy Anderson and Thierry Boudinaud, Fat Bastard Wines came into being via an exclamation, "Now that is what you call a Fat Bastard!" The comment came in response to a barrel of experimental Chardonnay that Thierry had left on lees for an extended maturation. Both Guy and Thierry felt that the wines had to be shared with the world, and so Fat Bastard Wines was born. Now, the pair work with wineries and vineyards from all over the world, sourcing fruit and juice from a myriad different regions and countries. But one factor remains the same: they make unapologetically full-bodied wines, packed with flavour and vibrancy.

Our flagship wine, the rich and flavorful Argentinian Malbec thrives in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, where our unique growing conditions give our Malbec incredibly concentrated fruit flavors of plum and blackberry.