Every day again I could enjoy the dawn, when we enjoyed breakfast at 6:45o’clock. The sun came up against the skyline of the Andes Mountains, which resulted in a beautiful view of the mountains including its highest top, the Aconchagua rock. You can imagine how delicious the aromatic breakfast tasted and that it was a good basis for our challenge, the visit to the vineyards!

Catena Zapata Mariela Molinara gave us a warm welcome in the very futuristic winery. If you see the vineyards, it can create a confusing picture because of the position of the different plots. They are planted rectangular against each other to make optimal use of the cultivated grapes (several clones of the same grape type). The sun shines four days per year with an average temperature of 35 degrees. Mr. Catena studied the 125 diversities of the Malbec from different wine areas, aging of grape plants and the soil structure.

After a selection there remained 15 clones which resulted in 5 several types. I would like to share some more information with you, about the different wines we tasted. We have tasted Malbec from their different vineyards:

 1. Angelica (860 meters) Delicate black fruit aromas in fragrance as well as in the taste, light stewed, light sticky tannins and mineraly.
2. La Piramide (950 meters - plot 4) Intensely, round in taste feeling, light stewed black fruit, spicy (white pepper) with nuances in the final.
3. Uco Valley (plot 9) In this vineyard wine is characterized by its animal character, smoothly, intensely with light mineraly undertones, is produced.
4. Nicasta Vineyard (1400 meters) Intense, light tannins but especially powerful (potential) fruit tastes and chocolate bitters in the end.
5.North Uco Valley (Adrianna 1470 meters) Intense wines with aromatic bouquet, round and stronger black currants, mineraly in the dry aftertaste.

Finally we blended wine with wine producer Alejandro Vigil: Intense, primary black berry fruit, gently in the beginning, a little strong, dry tannins and mineraly and a little spicy in the long aftertaste.

We definitely enjoy this wine excursion, I will keep you informed about my next wine discoveries!

Wine regards from South America,

Noël Vanwittenbergh
Sommelier Ciel Bleu