阿根廷名園《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》，莊園造型如大蜘蛛般盤據在門多薩省(Mendoza)海拔1000公尺的高原上。80年代，莊主Nicolas Catena受到加州卡本內致力提升品質的影響，決定改變以量取勝的策略，改走品質至上的做法。經過多年摸索之後，決定以阿根廷特有的馬爾貝(Malbec)葡萄品種當作重心，並勇於挑戰世界知名酒款，贏得全球酒展與酒評家的讚嘆，從此建立起《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》成為阿根廷酒王的地位。最讓人津津樂道的是Catena Zapata酒莊在2001年英國舉辦的第十屆葡萄酒比賽中奪魁。這場盲目試飲的酒款涵蓋法國五大酒莊頂級酒Château Latour, Haut-Brion、加州頂級酒與阿根廷《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》等，結果全體在場的專業人士評定《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》為第一名，奠定了卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊頂級酒莊在世界舞台的地位。世界最具權威葡萄酒專家Robert Parker 也在其出版的「全球最出色酒莊」書中將《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》列為唯一入選的阿根廷酒莊。「Decanter 品醇客雜誌」更將《Nicolas Catena Zapata》置於封面，並列為新世界偶像酒的今日巨星酒款。《CATENA ZAPATA卡帝那‧沙巴達酒莊》同時也是法國頂級酒莊Chateau Lafite Rothschild 正式的合作夥伴，酒莊的國際地位早已獲同行專業人士的肯定。
2018是成熟圓厚的風格。精選自家最佳葡萄園Adriana葡萄園的Cabernet Sauvignon(65 %）和Nicasia葡萄園的Malbec(35 %)葡萄釀製，較往年使用了更高比例的Malbec，打造出非常均衡和諧、純淨醇美的酒質。它呈現出濃郁的黑莓、黑醋栗、烤肉、菸草和濕泥土的香氣，以及些許花香；口感緊緻而集中，酒體飽滿，單寧紮實而細緻，帶有濃密的深色漿果和黑醋栗果味，整體平衡和諧，味道持久而悠長。
WA: 96 Drink: 2021-2028
The 2018 Nicolás Catena Zapata was produced with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon from Gualtallary (Adrianna vineyard, with the Cabernet Sauvignon interplanted with some Cabernet Franc) and 35% Malbec from Altamira (Nicasia vineyard). They no longer use grapes from Agrelo, and this is also a lot higher in Malbec than in other recent vintages. So, it has a very different profile, a change that started in 2017, with more contained ripeness and more freshness, and the wine is intense, keeping some of the Cabernet character (tobacco, blackberries) and the floral notes from Malbec. It comes through as balanced and harmonious, with very fine tannins and a long finish and perfect ripeness. This aims to revive the style of Bordeaux before phylloxera, from massal selection of ungrafted vines... 62,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2019.
