Blog Categories
… Estiba Revisited!
”I trust that you will forgive me. The wines were too varied. It was neither the quality nor the quantity that was at fault. It was the mixture!”
Angelica Chardonnay 2023
Light bright yellow. Californian style oaky nose and a hint of pear on the palate. Good material but just not my thing at all. Maybe destined for the supermarket?
Angelica Chardonnay 2011
Clear old shiny yellow. Apricot and dark orange blossom. An hour later in the glass the wine opened up like a white Rioja. Sexy mouth feel and worth the wait.
Nicolás Catena Zapata 2022
I used to think that was one of the great & serious reds from Argyland. Alas, something has changed. It offers cherry, plum & cedar wood. Hints of fresh mint tells me that this blend now has more of the dreaded Malbec in it than all the previous vintages. Will need 15+ years to balance out to be a really good Nic-Cat-Zap.
Birth Of Cabernet 2021
Garnet red, roast red pepper nose. Super grippy with well balanced tannins, maybe a little Cabernet Franc in this blend, not mentioned. Awful label!
Malbec Argentino 2023
Full over blown & massive nose. A powerful wine that will need years to lose its aggression and calm down a bit. Horrible new label!
Estiba Reservada 2019
Full medium red ruby. Blackberry and dark chocolate. Plush and super sexy at the same time. It is a huge wine and by far one of my favourite wines from the Catena Zapata stable. It’s the first time in 29 years of this Cabernet Sauvignon blend (1990 first vintage), that they found it necessary to add some Malbec. !15% of that dreaded grape. Still a great wine, with that same classic label but what a shame to ruin the juice with that 15%. Very limited availability @ £395 per bottle + taxes & shipping.
The Bodega sent me this note on 2019 Estiba Reservada: Deep purple in color, its aroma evokes ripe red and black fruits gently intertwined with notes of mint and eucalyptus.
On the palate, it is a wine of great concentration yet smoothness, with subtle notes of toast and vanilla harmoniously integrated with the fruit.
Catena Zapata has identified the highest quality plots within the family vineyards. The cultivation and manual care of these plots has allowed them to identify the vines that consistently produce the best fruit. These vines are marked in the vineyard with a red ribbon, indicating the special care they require. Harvested separately at different times, the “Zapata” vines form the origin of Catena Zapata Estiba Reservada wine.
Varietal: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc + 15% Malbec
Vinification: 28 days of skin maceration
Aging: 18 months in 100% new French oak
– O –
Estiba Reservada (Agrelo) Catena Zapata ´´Unique´´ Collection
1990 – 2019
1 bottle of each vintage ever produced
In 29 years of producing this iconic wine only two vintages have been left out of the mix
1998 the year of El Niño and the 2012 La Niña
(1990/
This is the ONLY collection in the world commercially available*
– 28 bottle collection is valued GBP @ P.O.A ex taxes/shipping –
Photographs upon Request*
William@worldwineconsultants.com
