KEY CONCEPTSFOR CATENA AND CATENA ZAPATA

THE RENAISSANCE OF MALBEC - TIMELINE

a. Birth of MALBEC in France 2,000 years ago as described by the Roman legions as they walked through Aquitaine, France.b. MALBEC became famous as the BLACK WINE in the Middle Ages - Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Court of Love. c. MALBEC’s heydays in BORDEAUX at the time of the 1855 Classification, when it was an essential part of the blend (from 20-60%) alongside Cabernet Sauvignon d. MALBEC’s near extinction in France due to Phylloxera and “global cooling” (Malbec is a late ripening, delicate grape susceptible to harsh weather and was replaced by the earlier ripening, tougher Merlot). e. MALBEC’s rebirth in Argentina by the CATENA FAMILY since 1902.f. To Nicolás Catena Zapata’s MALBEC REVOLUTION of the 1980’s-90’s.

THE GRAND CRU of SOUTH AMERICA – ADRIANNA VINEYARD

In the 1980’s, third generation vintner NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA from a family of Italian immigrants, dared to believe that his native ARGENTINA could make a South American GRAND CRU. Nicolas found the location for his GRAND CRU at the ADRIANNA VINEYARD, where a combination of high altitude (5,000 feet elevation) cool and sunny climate, and alluvial, limestone soils gave rise to the ADRIANNA VINEYARD “Vinos de Parcela,” Parcel Wines.

After thePHYLLOXERA EPIDEMIC

in the 1870'swich devasted vineyards

across Europe,the Malbec practically

disappeared from France. It was mostly replaced by

Merlot, wich rippened earlier.

Malbec is a very delicate, late ripening variety.

IT IS VERY SENSITIVE TO COLD WEATHER AND LACK OF SUNSHINE.

�is is why it adapts so well to Mendoza’s sunny,

dry weather.

First selection of pre-phylloxeric Malbec

vines at the CATENA INSTITUTE OF WINE,

Known fromthe time of the

Roman Empiremore than

2000 years ago. IT BECAME FAMOUS IN THEMiddle Ages

during Queen Eleanor´sCOURT OF LOVE.

In the 18th and 19th Centuries,Malbec was the main partner

OF CABERNET SAUVIGNONin the Grand Crus classified

in 1855(Malbec was 10-40% of the blend).

Introduced in

ARGENTINA in the

1850’s

in the 1990’sMalbec Rennaissance

and his Catena Argentine Malbec.by Nicolás Catena Zapata

THE HISTORY OF ARGENTINE

MALBEC

�e Catena Cuttings:

founded by Laura Catena.

BODEGA Y VIÑEDOS CATENA

The original name of the winery started in 1902 in Mendoza by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena and it stands for “Catena Winery and Vineyards”.

CATENA MALBECThe start of the Renaissance of Malbec by the Catena family was in 1902 when Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard. In the 1990’s, CATENA MALBEC was the first ARGENTINE MALBEC to make waves in the world, and to bring back to prominence this NOBLE grape which had once been revered in France, and nearly gone extinct after the phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800’s.La Pirámide Vineyard

El Mirador, Adrianna Vineyard

Story:In the 1980’s, Nicolas Catena was not completely sure that Malbec could make a Grand Cru wine with complexity and ageing potential. It was his father, Domingo Vicente, aka D.V. Catena, who convinced him that Argentine Malbec could make a wine as great as the best of France. And it was his father’s encouragement that convinced Nicolás to start the MALBEC REVOLUTION. Early 1990’s - when Dr. Laura Catena was still a medical student and tried to help her dad by presenting Malbec to retailers and sommeliers, they would say “the CATENA MALBEC tastes amazing, but I can’t buy it because I won’t be able to sell it – wine consumers don’t know what Malbec is.” This lack of response to Malbec is what convinced Laura that she needed to be a part of the family winery to help change perception.1999 Wall Street Journal - first story about Malbec in a major US newspaper, ranks CATENA MALBEC as #1.

CATENA APPELLATIONS

Story: A decade ago journalists kept on asking Laura Catena “what comes after Malbec in Argentina?” This question would always make Laura mad because Malbec is a grape with 2,000 years of history which has survived centuries of fame, near-extinction and rebirth. So Laura questioned the journalist: “Would you ask Aubert de Villaine of Romanée Conti what comes after Pinot Noir in Burgundy?” Laura proceeded to explain to this journalist how diverse the expressions of Malbec can be from North (Salta) to South (Patagonia) in Argentina and within the di�erent sub-regions of Mendoza. Laura realized though, that to explain this extraordinary diversity of Malbec flavors, the wines from the di�erent terroirs should be bottled separately, and that is how CATENA APPELLATIONS was born.

Lunlunta: OLD VINESOld Vine Malbec, ripe flavors, silky tannins

Story: Who is the old world for Malbec? In France less than 10 individual clones are left and vines are grafted. In Argentina there are hundreds of individual Malbec cuttings/clones (the Catena Cuttings represent 135 individual plants = a population of Malbec) which date back many centuries, and vines are planted in their own roots (not grafted on American rootstocks) much like they were in Europe before the phylloxera epidemic.

WHAT COMESAFTER MALBEC IN ARGENTINA?

Lunlunta, Mendoza

Wine Journalist - Laura Catena

Catena in The Wall Street Journal, 1990

Vista Flores: FRUITY, PINOT NOIR LIKE Deep soils, floral and fruity aromas, smooth tannins and delicate flavors – the most pinot-noir like Malbec.

Story: Vista Flores means “view of the flowers.” There are many flowers planted in Vista Flores and the Malbec wines have floral aromas.

Paraje Altamira: Violet aromas, MINERAL, CONCENTRATED AND SMOOTH - shallow alluvial gravelly soils, low yields.

Story: Laura Catena and the Catena Institute fought to have the Altamira appellation established against foreign groups (from USA and Russia) who had trademarked the appellation’s name, Altamira.

La Consulta: CONCENTRATED - Blue fruits, concentrated, rich tannins.

Story: DV Catena, Laura’s grandfather, said that he could fix any light wine by adding a “dollop” of La Consulta to the blend. It was from this vineyard that he used Malbec in his famous Blend.

DV CATENA TINTO HISTORICO

DV CATENA, DOMINGO VICENTE CATENA, is Nicolás Catena’s father. He had to leave school at age 10 to help his father in the vineyard and winery. DV’s father was Nicola Catena the Italian immigrant who founded the Catena winery in 1902. (note that Nicola is the Italian spelling of Nicolas and in Italian tradition, the oldest grandson takes the name of his grandfather and that is why Nicolas Catena was named so). Although DV CATENA led a simple country life, he was very ambitious.

Story: When DV went to Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital and saw its fancy Parisian-styled restaurants, he saw a wine market waiting to be conquered. He created the powerful TINTO BUENOS AIRES, a blend of Malbec, Bonarda and Petit Verdot which became the rage in all the restaurants where it was sold in carafes. DV CATENA would send the wine to the city in oak casks. When Malbec first came to Argentina in the 19th century it was planted mixed with its Bordeaux brother Petit Verdot, and those mixed Malbec and Petit Verdot vineyards were called “uva francesa” or French grapes. That is why the DV CATENA is named TINTO HISTORICO because it is a historic blend for ARGENTINA as well as for the CATENA FAMILY.

Vista Flores, Mendoza

La Consulta, Mendoza

Paraje Altamira, Mendoza

Domingo Vicente Catena

CATENA ALTA MALBEC

ALTA means high, for CATENA’s High Altitude revolution – Nicolás Catena planted at high altitude looking for a cooler climate that would allow him to make wines with optimal natural acidity, complexity and the ability to age.

Story:HISTORIC ROWS refers to the row by row selection for the ALTA (high) wines from CATENA’s Historic Vineyards – every vineyard has a parcel or rows that always provide the best wine – that is where CATENA ALTA comes from.LAURA CATENA – a still practicing pediatric emergency physician with a background in science from Harvard (biology) and Stanford (medicine) founded the CATENA INSTITUTE OF WINE in 1995 to better understand Mendoza’s high-altitude wine region and its signature grape – Malbec. Laura’s research led her to study the flavor of each vineyard down to each soil type and plant. When Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon (1992), Chardonnay (1993) and Malbec (1994) were released they became the first collectible wines from ARGENTINA.

BODEGA CATENA ZAPATA

The Pyramid - home to CATENA ZAPATA NICASIA, MALBEC ARGENTINO, NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA, ADRIANNA VINEYARD VINOS DE PARCELA

Story: Nicolás Catena traveled the world looking for inspiration to build his winery in the 1990’s. He decided that even though he has Italian and Spanish roots, he did not want to copy an Old World architectural style. Nicolás wanted to create something new that payed homage to the distinctive Mountain terroir of his native Mendoza.On a trip to Central America, Nicolás fell in love with the Mayan pyramids. The Mayans aspired to reach the highest levels in farming, math, language and architecture. This Native American culture was an inspiration for Nicolás to build the CATENA ZAPATA pyramid winery following the Mayan architectural style.

Catena Vineyards

La Piramide Vineyard, Mendoza

MALBEC ARGENTINOThe first label to tell the history of a variety.

Story: Adrianna Catena, PhD in history (Berkeley undergrad and masters, and Oxford doctorate) developed the idea. Adrianna Catena is Nicolás Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter.10 Centuries of LIFE, DEATH AND REBIRTH, told through four women who each played a role in the birth of MALBEC in France to its rebirth and renaissance in Argentina. Adrianna, the historian, says that most of history has been told through a male point of view and CATENA ZAPATA is changing the paradigm with this label.Comes from OLD VINES – Angelica and Nicasia Vineyards – avg. vine age 55 years.

NICASIA VINEYARD: “the GRANDMOTHER wine”Named after Laura’s great grandmother Nicasia, and is in Paraje Altamira.

Story: This vineyard planted in the early 1990’s is named after Nicasia, who was Laura’s active grandmother (Laura’s real grandmother whom she never met was Angelica Zapata, Nicolas Catena’s mother, a schoolteacher and “academic mentor” to Nicolas; Angélica died in a car accident when Nicolas was only 18 years old.) And that was why Nicasia, Angelica’s mother and Laura’s

great-grandmother functioned as Laura’s “live” grandmother.Laura named this vineyard Nicasia because of its soft and smooth tannins and generous aromas, just like her great-grandmother Nicasia who was all love and hugs, and knitted clothes for Laura’s dolls. Nicasia was the most loving person that Laura has ever known, much like the wine.

NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATAThe wine that recreates the blend that was classified for the grand crus in 1855 and Nicolas Catena Zapata’s dream to make a wine that will stand with the best of the world: a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

Story:Nicolás Catena Zapata was told by a producer from Bordeaux that the wines from the traditional areas in Mendoza tasted like Langue d’Oc wines. He wanted to make an Argentine wine that would stand with the best of the world and realized that he needed to search for cooler climates further South and higher in altitude. Inspired by the Napa revolution of the 1970’s, 80’s and by the Judgement of Paris – to challenge the French hegemony on fine wine.

This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec recreates the blend that made the wines classified in 1855 famousBooks from 19th century France state that the Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon needed the fruit and soft tannins of Malbec to make an elegant and complex wine.

Nicasia and Nicolás Catena with grandson

London Tasting 2001 - NCZ

Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec is named for the unique microorganisms found in the limestone layered soil in a small parcel of the vineyard. This wine delivers high acidity coupled with chalky tannins and unbelievable freshness.

River Stones Malbec is named for the section of Adrianna Vineyard that was once a river but whose ground is filled with white stones, which provides optimal drainage and helps moderate extreme temperatures while developing a wine that is extremely aromatic, rich and luxurious.

Fortuna Terrae means ‘luck of the earth’ in Latin which best describes the Malbec parcel of Adrianna Vineyard from which this wine is made. Deep, loamy soils combined with the altitude help this wine deliver optimal acidity with delicate floral aromas.

White Stones and White Bones Chardonnays: Chardonnay is an early ripening variety and is not usually planted alongside a late ripening variety like Malbec. However, this extremely cool climate location with intense high altitude sunlight becomes an ideal place to make mineral Chardonnay and Malbec, both with ageing capacity.

ADRIANNA VINEYARD – VINOS DE PARCELASOUTH AMERICA’S GRAND CRU VINEYARD

Story: Dr. Laura Catena’research at the CATENA INSTITUTE OF WINE led her to farm each parcel in a way that would express its individual soil and flavor taking into consideration a new DEFINITION OF TERROIR that includes:

. altitude and sunlight intensity . microbiome . plant selection . cultural practices . soil and climateAdrianna Vineyard

Limestone and gravel Deep soil Large gravel

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WINES

NICOLA CATENA – Italian immigrant from Le Marche, founded Bodega y Viñedos Catena in 1902. Laura Catena’s daughter is named Nicola after her great grandfather.

DV CATENA – Nicola’s son. Was famous as a master blender. He created a market for his TINTO BUENOS AIRES Malbec-Petit Verdot – Bonarda blend in the city Parisian-styled bistros. DV thought that Argentine Malbec could compete with the best of France.

NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA – DV’s son and Nicola Catena’s grandson. - Born in small Mendoza village of less than 1,000 inhabitants.- His mother, Angélica Zapata, the local school headmaster told him that he should aspire to earn the Noble prize in physics- When he was only 18, Nicolás’ mother died in a tragic car accident and Nicolas decided to stay in Argentina to help his father. - Years later he became a Doctor of Economics and studied at Columbia University in New York.- In the 1980’s he started the Malbec Revolution and changed the history of Argentine Wine by introducing high quality Argentine wines to the world.

Story: Nicolas was inspired by the JUDGEMENT OF PARIS to make an Argentine wine that could stand with the best of the world. He started the Malbec Revolution/Renaissance in the 1980’s by reintroducing the NOBLE MALBEC to the world with the CATENA MALBEC. The secret to his quality revolution was discovering the High Altitude terroirs in the Uco Valley, where concentrated, mineral and age-worthy wines such as the ADRIANNA MALBEC VINOS DE PARCELA and the NICOLAS CATENA ZAPATA could be made.

DR. LAURA CATENA – Nicolas Catena Zapata’s oldest daughter. Biologist and Physician (graduate of Harvard and Stanford)

Story:Laura Catena never intended to work with her father until one day, she went to the New York Wine Experience and she realized that Argentina’s wines were completely unknown and that she needed to help her father and her country.A self-avowed Francophile (she studied French from a young age and went to France with her father in the 1980’s and 90’s when he was discovering the Grand-Crus), helped form the partnership with Domaines Barons de Rothschild [Lafite] Bodegas Caro and has been studying Argentina’s terroir ever since.Dr. Laura Catena is the founder of the CATENA INSTITUTE OF WINE in 1995 with the goal of “using science to preserve NATURE and CULTURE and of ELEVATING ARGENTINE WINE.”

DR. ADRIANNA CATENA – Nicolas Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter. She accompanied her father on his trips to Napa and went to the high altitude vineyard areas with her father when he was starting the MALBEC REVOLUTION (at that time Laura and their brother Ernesto were in college in the USA). Studied History at UC Berkeley and then received her PhD in history at Oxford University.In 2010 she formed a partnership with CATENA ZAPATA winemaker Alejandro Vigil, focused on Cabernet Franc blends and called EL ENEMIGO. El enemigo means “the enemy” and stands for the constant battle between each person and their own soul and mind, the “internal enemy” within all of us.

Story: In 2015 she conceived the label for MALBEC ARGENTINO, the first to tell the HISTORY of a wine variety on a label through the four women of MALBEC.

ALEJANDRO VIGIL – Chief winemaker, at CATENA ZAPATA since 2002. Alejandro came to CATENA from his position as Director of the Soil Studies within MENDOZA’s main research institution, INTA. Along with Laura Catena, Alejandro has brought to CATENA a deep knowledge of terroir and an obsession with allowing each parcel and each vine to show its true and best personality.Laura likes to call Alejandro “Catena’s Picasso” because he lives and understands the deep connection between the science and art of winemaking.

Story: Alejandro and his wife Maria own and run Mendoza’s most popular WINE COUNTRY RESTAURANT, CASA VIGIL, where guests are taken through an exploration of the culinary history and art culture of Mendoza and Argentina.