It's hard to overstate the impact Catena has had on Argentinian wine and particularly Malbec. In 1902, Italian immigrant Nicola Catena planted a Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, with a hunch that it would grow well in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. While Malbec is native to Cahors in southwestern France and once common in Bordeaux, it nearly went extinct in the late 1800s due to phylloxera. Fellow immigrants had brought the grape to Argentina just a few decades earlier, however. Catena’s bet paid off, and today Malbec is Argentina’s signature variety, largely in part to the decades of research and innovation of Catena’s descendants. Run today by fourth generation (and San Francisco resident) Dr. Laura Catena, alongside winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Catena is Argentina’s oldest family-run winery. They continue to promote and elevate Malbec, exploring high elevation vineyards, protecting old vines, and developing a series of “Appellation” wines meant to express the specific terroir of small towns in Mendoza. The Lunlunta Malbec is one of these wines, hailing from the town of Lunlunta south of Mendoza city. Lunlunta is a rural district of small orchards and ancient Malbec vines, planted on silty-clay soils at around 2,800 feet in elevation. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged for one year in French oak barrels, leading to a approachble but elegant style of Malbec – lovely to drink on its own now, but with the weight and structure to stand up to rich food. The wine is bursting with juicy red currant and plum notes, supported by gently gripping tannins. A piece of Argentinian wine history for a reasonable price – this is hands down one of the best value-priced Malbecs I’ve tasted this year.

Catena vineyards has been famous for very long time for producing amazing red wines, particularly Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The luscious Lunlunta Old Vine Malbec has a very rich and floral nose that contains red boysenberry, blackberry and to a lesser extent, blueberry. There is also a light savory scent that comes through after the lush fruits. On the palate, it starts out with a light bite and quickly expands with mouth-coating cassis that is paired with some very nice back of the throat minerals and a wee bit of chalk. The finish is long and has mellow spice to light tobacco. A wonderful release from Catena that has classic Argentinian Malbec fruit with so much more to make it stand out above the rest.

The 2023 Lunlunta Malbec is classic Catena in the best way — polished, expressive, and quietly confident. Dark plum, blackberry, and black cherry lead the way, framed by violet, cocoa, and a subtle mineral edge that speaks to Lunlunta’s old vines and warmer, lower-elevation character. On the palate, it’s smooth and composed, with ripe fruit that feels generous but never heavy. The texture is plush without being sweet, balanced by fresh acidity and fine, chalky tannins that keep everything in check. There’s a savory undertone beneath the fruit — a hint of earth and spice — giving the wine more depth than your average Malbec. The finish is clean, steady, and quietly persistent, making this an easy wine to keep coming back to. It’s a reliable, crowd-pleasing Malbec with real structure — perfect for grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or a simple weeknight dinner that deserves something a little better than usual.