
- 96 points -
March 2025 (Vintage 2023)This shows plums, bark and charcoal on the nose. The palate is precise, sharp, linear and super elegant, with velvety tannins and crunchy fruit. It’s long, refined and very stylish.
See detailed press reviewMalbec
2023
Laura Catena, daughter of famous Argentine wine pioneer, Nicolas Catena, was born in Buenos Aires. At the age of 14, her family moved to Berkeley, California where her father had taken a teaching position in the Economics Department. Laura went on to attend Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude in biology, and then she returned to the west coast, to Stanford University, to pursue a medical degree graduating in 1992. Today, Laura Catena is a practicing emergency-room physician....
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This is a great example of Mendoza Malbec. Incredible deep purple red color. Loads of spice and black and red cherry aromas with notes of chocolate. The berry flavors really pop on the palate as the wine has both a full mid palate and lively acidity that leads to an incredibly long finish. A bottom note of freshly brewed espresso keeps the mouthwatering too. This one is a teenager at the moment and should age very well (and not talk back when you don't give it the car keys.) Pairs well with foods such as venison or wild game, steak, pork, quail, all types of lamb, and medium-strong cheeses. A very flexible Malbec due to its concentration and balance.
This shows plums, bark and charcoal on the nose. The palate is precise, sharp, linear and super elegant, with velvety tannins and crunchy fruit. It’s long, refined and very stylish.
See detailed press reviewA stunning Malbec that combines fruit from the two best appellations in the Uco Valley - Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary - this is a heady, aromatic, thrillingly well-balanced red with notes of tangerine, fennel and blackberry fruit, filigree tannins and stylish oak.
See detailed press reviewAmazing depth and intensity to this old-vine malbec with blackberry and black-licorice character to the wine. Violets, too. It’s full and dense, yet remains energetic and long. Polished, refined tannins. A gorgeous, plush red. Drinkable now for its generosity, but let it mellow with a few years of bottle age.
See detailed press reviewLots of mountain herbs, mussel shells and sour black cherries. Full, fleshy and fresh on the palate with fine, silty tannins and a juicy, rather minerally finish. Long and tight but caressing and pretty transparent and tactile on the palate
See detailed press reviewBaked blueberries, dark cherries, toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, tea leaves and mocha on the nose. It’s full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins. Creamy and polished. Compact and plush, yet fresh and vibrant at the finish.
See detailed press reviewBlueberries and black tea with volcanic salt and violets on the nose and palate Medium to full body and fine, silky tannins. Savory finish. Drink or hold.
See detailed press reviewPure berry and cassis aromas are concentrated and show no holes. This Uco Valley Malbec feels pure, direct and linear, albeit with slightly scratchy tannins that should dissipate in due time. Blackberry and dry spice flavors finish full and grabby, with muscularity.
See detailed press reviewA nicely saline and concentrated malbec here with plenty of peppercorn and dark spices to the black cherries. Full-bodied but still fluid on the palate with abundant, silky tannins.
See detailed press reviewConcentrated black-fruit aromas alongside hints of cardamom and coriander open this lush Malbec. Blackberry, cassis and dark plum flavors are pure and agile on the palate. Enjoy through 2024.
See detailed press reviewUnctuous and fine-grained flavors of dark currant and ripe cherry are supported by medium-grained tannins in this red, which is creamy midpalate, with concentrated chocolate mousse notes on the finish.
See detailed press reviewA great range of aromas from flowers through smoke to elderberries, pull you into this powerful, structured yet graceful malbec in which the fine-grained tannins are already beautifully integrated, gently turning ever drier through the long, polished finish. Mostly from old vines in Altamira, plus some wine from higher-altitude vineyards.
See detailed press reviewA complex red, with an undercurrent of river stone to the orange peel and mountain herb notes that meld with rooibos tea and Rainer cherry flavors on a richly textured frame, while a gentle nudge of fresh acidity carries everything onto the finish around fine tannins and notes of dark chocolate.
See detailed press reviewSaturated bright ruby. Lively aromas of blackberry, licorice pastille and violet. Richer, deeper and weightier than the Malbec Paraje Altamira, offering smooth flavors of blackberry, blueberry, violet and dark chocolate. Finishes compellingly sweet, with supple tannins and lingering black fruits and chocolate--and without any loss of focus or energy. Great Malbec for the price--or any price!
See detailed press reviewThe 2021 Old Vine Malbec is floral, aromatic, balanced, fresh and varietal with notes of violets and small berries. It has integrated oak and a tender mouthfeel with a medium body and fine tannins.
See detailed press reviewThe 2019 Old Vine Malbec comes from old ungrafted vineyards irrigated by traditional flood irrigation in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. It's a floral, juicy and varietal Malbec with nicely integrated oak and a lively palate with pungent flavors, vibrant acidity and fine and round tannins. 180,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020.
See detailed press reviewThe Luca wines are the passion of Laura Catena, and the name of her son. Laura was instrumental in the push toward making small quantities of terroir-based wine as a natural extension of Catena’s years of research into Mendoza’s high altitude vineyards Uco Valley's La Consulta and Gualtallary. The grapes are hand-harvested, aged 14 months in 35 percent new French oak and 65 percent used barrels. In the super cool year of 2016, it is the floral, mineral highlights that dominate, giving this label a real sense of malbec purity. The tannins are highly refined, dense and sweet, settingthe stage for spicy, coffee, cocoa flecked fruit with terrific acidity. Longer and more linear than in warm years, this bottle is very food-friendly. Think wild game, steak, lamb, and medium-strong cheeses. Good value.
See detailed press reviewA Malbec made from a combination of grapes from the Uco Valley that spent 14 months aging in French barrels, 35% of them new. Remarkably purple in the glass. The delicate, fruity nose ranges from sour cherry to blackberry with hints of syrup and mint. A very interesting wine, it is sugary but presents a firm, fleshy palate, tacky tannins and a juicy flow with a pleasantly contained freshness. The finish is long and flavorful and followed by a teasing aftertaste.
See detailed press reviewThe 2020 Old Vine Malbec comes from old ungrafted vineyards irrigated by traditional flood irrigation in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. It combines ripe berry fruit with sweet spices in an approachable and commercial way. It's floral and juicy with a soft palate denoting the ripeness of a warm and dry year and fine and round tannins.
See detailed press reviewBright ruby. Vibrant scents of dark berries, bitter chocolate and violet...the intense black fruit and bitter chocolate flavors are palate-saturating and satisfying. The pliant finish features substantial broad, lush tannins. (a blend of vineyards)
See detailed press reviewLithe, with red cherry and dried raspberry flavors that feature hints of hot stone. Medium-grained tannins provide grip on the juicy, well-spiced finish. Drink now through 2024. 7,000 cases made, 7,000 cases imported
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