Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard River Stones Malbec 2016

This is a 2016 Malbec from Bodega Catena Zapata, the Argentine winery founded in 1902 and long associated with bringing Malbec back to prominence. It takes its name from a small parcel within the Adrianna Vineyard covered in oval white stones left by an ancient riverbed. The stones drain well and help moderate the temperature swings of the high altitude, absorbing heat by day and releasing it through the cooler night, and acting rather like ice cubes after a particularly cold one. It is an ageworthy Malbec from the 2016 vintage.