CATENA - La Marchigiana Malbec - 2019

CATENA

La Marchigiana Malbec 2019

- 92 points -

La Marchigiana is Catina's respectful look to the past, fermenting indigenous criolla in clay pots. Though the amphora here was brought over from Italy by Nicola Catena, Chile has a long ancestry with clay pot wine aging dating back to the 16th century. The label is also historical, dating back to when Nicola (before he changed his name to Argentinian Nicolás) sold barrels of wine to Buenos Aires' finest restaurants. This rosé of criolla, from Finca La Vendimia, spent 250+ days on skins in the pots before bottling, sulphite free. Light/moderate crimson-hued, this presents more a lighter red than the rosé label states. Pomegranate, raspberry, wild herbal thorns, and fragrant dried wildflowers are lifted and buoyant on the slight palate, kissed with ample fine mineral salts and wrung with whisper fine tannins across a saline finish. Very distinct and quite charming, ideally with a light chill.

February 2023


About Gismondi on Wine

Anthony Gismondi is one of North America's most influential wine critics. Both a writer and broadcaster he is currently in his 25th year as wine columnist at the Vancouver Sun where his twice weekly wine columns and videos are seen by one million readers a week. His comprehensive and busy wine review websitewww.gismondionwine.com features over 20,000 tasting notes and attracts over a half million visitors a month from some 70 countries. He is also the co-host of the longest running, weekly, wine and food show in Canadian radio: The Best of Food and Wine. The show airs in prime time every Thursday evening from 6-7pm Pacific on CISL 650am.