Catena Zapata, 2018 San Carlos Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Cab Franc du Jour #37
Catena Zapata was established in 1902 by Nicolas Catena and is widely regarded as one of the great pioneers of viticulture and winemaking in Argentina.
To put Cabernet Franc in context within the country, plantings of the variety began to increase meaningfully in the mid-1990s, and today there are around 1,250 hectares in the ground, representing approximately 1% of all red grape plantings and just 0.63% of total cultivated area. In relative terms, that is a very small footprint, but because Cabernet Franc is a finicky variety that demands careful attention in the vineyard, the fruit and wines produced tend to fall squarely in the premium and super-premium categories.
Today’s wine comes from the San Carlos Indicación Geográfica within the Valle de Uco, the most southerly sub-region of Mendoza. To put it in Burgundian terms, Mendoza is the Bourgogne AOC, the Valle de Uco is the Côte de Nuits, and San Carlos is a village-level appellation, comparable to a Gevrey-Chambertin or Morey-Saint-Denis. More specifically, the wine is sourced from three micro-zones within San Carlos: El Cepillo, La Consulta, and Paraje Altamira.
The vineyards are situated about 80km south-southwest of the city of Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes, south of the Tunuyán River with a northwest exposure, at an average altitude of around 1,090m above sea level. Altitude plays a defining role in the character of the wines here. The greater diurnal temperature range between warm days and cool nights slows ripening and preserves natural acidity, while the stronger solar radiation at elevation produces grapes with thicker skins, contributing to wines with greater intensity of colour, flavour, and tannin. The combination of southerly latitude and high altitude makes this one of the coolest growing zones within Mendoza.
The soils are alluvial, with a topsoil of mixed silt, sand, and clay over a subsoil with a high proportion of large calcareous stones. The wine is vinified in stainless steel and aged for 12 months in French oak barriques with 35% new oak.
Wine Details
Producer: Catena Zapata
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Region: Uco Valley (San Carlos)
Appellation: San Carlos IG
Vineyards: El Cepillo, La Consulta, El Paraje Altamira
Altitude: 1090m
Soil: Alluvial silty-sandy-clay over large calcareous rocks
Alcohol: 13.5%