Bodega Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae Malbec 2018

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.

The aromatics here really seduce you with their blackberry and dried-strawberry notes and undertones of wet earth, green tea, dried flowers, stones and dust. Full bodied, tight and very focused with similarly complex character on the palate. More muscle than many previous vintages of this. Extremely long and juicy. Needs at least four or five years to come together. - James Suckling, 98 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Malbec
Country - Argentina
Region - Mendoza
Vintage - 2018
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.9%