Argentina
2017 Domaines Barons de Rothschild & Nicolas Catena, Caro, Mendoza 6x75cl
"The 2017 Caro was produced as a blend of 74% Malbec and 26% Cabernet Sauvignon. It matured in French oak barrels, 80% of them new, for 18 months. It has notes of ripe black fruit, licorice and a... touch of earth, leather and graphite. The palate reveals some astringency and a dry finish with some bitterness from the oak. 56,000 bottles and 1,520 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2019." 91 pts., Luis Guiterrez, robertparker.com
£200 / Case£33.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2019 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Fortuna Terrae Malbec, Tupungato 3x75cl
"The 2019 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae is made with grapes from parcel 6 of the Adrianna Vineyard, Uco Valley, planted in Gualtallary at a height of 4,400 feet and aged for 18 months in... new and second use French barrels. The pure, intense and precisely judged nose offers delicate fruit such as sweet and sour cherry alongside hints of lavender and violet and faint herbal aromas. It’s relaxed and juicy on the palate with subtle, finely grained tannins and a little chalk. The finish is elongated by fruity flavors. The year helped with the nuanced freshness in this Malbec." 95 pts., Joaquin Hidalgo, vinous.com
£195 / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2015 Catena Zapata, Adrianna Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, Uco Valley 3x75cl
£385 / Case£128.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2018 Catena Zapata, Nicolas Catena Zapata, Mendoza 6x75cl
“... The results are breath-taking. Purple in the glass with garnet flecks, this wine delivers layers of aroma, beginning with black currant and moving on to intense, precise notes of lavender and... mint along with hints of black tea, sage and cigar box. In the mouth, austerity vies for supremacy with sheer power, a balance overseen by polished, grippy tannins placed into relief by a well-judged freshness that keeps the whole package light on its feet. This is a wine of tension foregrounded by the blend: the Malbec smooths out the Cabernet Sauvignon, which in turn brings energy to a red with an extremely long finish.” 96 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, www.vinous.com
£300 / Case£50 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur