Is Catena Malbec good?
Yes, Catena Malbec is one of the best Malbecs you can find for under $20: rich, plummy and smooth, with more depth than most bottles at the price.
Catena Malbec · Malbec · Mendoza, Argentina · grocery stores and wine shops
- Alcohol
- About 13.5%
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Grapes
- 100% Malbec
- Made by
- Bodega Catena Zapata, family owned since 1902
- From
- High-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina
- Price
- About $17 to $22
- Calories
- About 120 to 130 in a 5 oz glass (estimate, like most dry reds)
What it tastes like
Plum, blackberry and violet, with a little mocha and vanilla. Full and velvety, with soft grip and a dry flavor that lingers.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
- Gripsmooth → grippy
Is it worth $18?
Yes. Catena is one of the most respected names in Argentina, and this bottle tastes like it. If you want a cheaper weeknight Malbec, Alamos is the little sibling.
Who it’s for
For anyone who likes big reds but finds Cabernet a bit harsh. Great with anything off the grill. Not your pick if you want something light.
How to serve it
Serve just below room temperature. Open it 15 minutes ahead if you can.
The backstory
Nicola Catena founded the family winery in Mendoza in 1902, and his grandson Nicolás bet big in the early 1990s on vineyards way up in the Andes, near 1,500 meters. Cool mountain nights keep the fruit fresh, so the wine is plush but not flabby. Today Laura Catena runs it with winemaker Alejandro Vigil, and this bottle blends three estate vineyards from about 920 to 1,450 meters, aged about a year in French oak.
How it compares
- Catena Malbec vs Alamos Malbec
Alamos comes from the same family for about half the price, juicier and simpler, so pick Alamos for taco night and Catena when dinner deserves a little more.
- Catena Malbec vs Louis Martini Cabernet
Louis Martini Cabernet is firmer and more grippy for about the same money, so pick Catena if you want big and velvety and Martini if you want classic steakhouse Cab.
- Catena Malbec vs Josh Cabernet
Josh is softer and a few dollars cheaper, but Catena has more depth and a drier, longer finish.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- Where is Catena Malbec from?
- Mendoza, Argentina, from three of the family's own vineyards high in the Andes foothills. Altitude is the whole story here: cool nights keep the wine fresh and the color deep.
- Is Catena Malbec sweet?
- No, it is a dry red. Ripe plum and a little mocha from the oak make it feel rich and round, but there is no real sweetness.
- How long can you age Catena Malbec?
- It is ready to drink when you buy it, and most people open it within a year or two. Catena says its wines can age for ten years or more if stored somewhere cool and dark, getting softer and more savory.
- What is the difference between Catena and Catena Zapata?
- Same family winery. "Catena" on the label is the everyday estate range, like this Malbec, while "Catena Zapata" bottles like Adrianna Vineyard are the pricey single-vineyard wines.
- Who imports Catena Malbec?
- Winebow brings Catena into the US, so you will see it at wine shops, Total Wine and many grocery stores, usually for about $17 to $22.
If you like this, try
- Alamos MalbecMalbec · about $10Good buy
- Louis Martini CabernetCabernet Sauvignon · about $20Drink this one
- Bogle Petite SirahPetite Sirah · about $12Drink this one
Where Moxie recommends it
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- What is dry red wine?
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- Malbec vs Cabernet Sauvignon: what's the difference?
Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Catena Zapata; this is our honest take.