The 2018 Lunlunta Malbec from Catena will please a lot of palates with its soft, fruit-forward profile that finishes pleasantly dry; it will likely also surprise with the depth and harmony for the price! While you can enjoy it without food, some dry-rubbed barbecue would make for a stellar combination!
The Catena family has been making wine in Argentina for over 100 years, joining a few other winemaking pioneers who brought vines over from France. Today, head winemaker Alejandro Vigil (also of El Enemigo fame) continues to propel this family winery's reputation forward, making wines for all budgets that have consistently been warmly received by both critics and wine drinkers alike.
Along with making advances in the country's winemaking reputation, Catena has been vital in promoting the regional differences among the country's wines, which is another sign of Argentina's maturing wine culture. Their 2018 Lunlunta Malbec is a great example of this; planted in the 1930s, the Lunlunta vineyards lie in the Lujan de Cuyo district, quite close to the city of Mendoza and its river. A selection from these vines, known for making wines with a particularly soft, plush mouthfeel, goes into their exceptional flagship Malbec, Argentino.
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "Attractive aromas of fresh raspberries and blackberries with a lightly herbal note, too. The palate has a very deep-set delivery of rich, plush, plum and berry flavors with smooth, long-form tannins. Deep, profound, plum-soaked finish with latent, toasted-spice warmth to close. Pleasure with interest."
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "I was very pleasantly surprised by the 2018 Appellation Lunlunta Malbec, a red from an underestimated/forgotten zone of Mendoza, where Malbec seems to be very expressive and floral. The grapes were picked reasonably early, and they fermented with 100% full clusters. Only half of the wine matured in oak. I already liked the two previous vintages, but in 2018, they selected cooler plots for this bottling, resulting in a fresher and more ethereal wine, with a captivating personality within the classical profile. Bravo for Lunlunta!
The Catena family has been making wine in Argentina for over 100 years, joining a few other winemaking pioneers who brought vines over from France. Today, head winemaker Alejandro Vigil (also of El Enemigo fame) continues to propel this family winery's reputation forward, making wines for all budgets that have consistently been warmly received by both critics and wine drinkers alike.
Along with making advances in the country's winemaking reputation, Catena has been vital in promoting the regional differences among the country's wines, which is another sign of Argentina's maturing wine culture. Their 2018 Lunlunta Malbec is a great example of this; planted in the 1930s, the Lunlunta vineyards lie in the Lujan de Cuyo district, quite close to the city of Mendoza and its river. A selection from these vines, known for making wines with a particularly soft, plush mouthfeel, goes into their exceptional flagship Malbec, Argentino.
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "Attractive aromas of fresh raspberries and blackberries with a lightly herbal note, too. The palate has a very deep-set delivery of rich, plush, plum and berry flavors with smooth, long-form tannins. Deep, profound, plum-soaked finish with latent, toasted-spice warmth to close. Pleasure with interest."
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "I was very pleasantly surprised by the 2018 Appellation Lunlunta Malbec, a red from an underestimated/forgotten zone of Mendoza, where Malbec seems to be very expressive and floral. The grapes were picked reasonably early, and they fermented with 100% full clusters. Only half of the wine matured in oak. I already liked the two previous vintages, but in 2018, they selected cooler plots for this bottling, resulting in a fresher and more ethereal wine, with a captivating personality within the classical profile. Bravo for Lunlunta!
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