Catena Zapata “Birth of Cabernet” 2021

THE LOVE STORY

Once upon a time, a bee (or two) went from the flowers of a Cabernet Franc vine to the flowers of a Sauvignon Blanc vine, and a seedling child began to ripen inside the mother grapes. Then came war, and the vineyard was abandoned. Years later, the vintner returned to his land and found a new vine. He tasted the grapes and fell in love. It was Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our allegory of the vines as animals gives a whimsical rendering of the story. The fox -Cabernet Franc- has attributes of Cardinal Richelieu, the first famous lover of the said grape. The siren – part woman, part bird- represents Sauvignon Blanc in all her savage glory. On the right, their child -Cabernet Sauvignon- is depicted as a world traveller, adventuring from the French Pyrenees to the Catena Zapata pyramid, at the foothills of the Andes, in Argentina.

VINIFICATION

The harvest is done by hand, and the fermentation takes place in concrete eggs, small stainless-steel tanks and French oak roll-fermentors, at temperatures of 26-28°C for about 12-18 days. Total maceration of around 18-22 days. Aged in French oak for 18-24 months. First, second and third use barrels.