Die Familie Catena tritt in Mendoza, Argentinien, in ihr zweites Jahrhundert der Weinherstellung ein. Benannt nach der jüngsten Tochter von Nicolás Catena Zapata, liegt das Adrianna Vineyard auf fast 5.000 Fuß Höhe in Mendoza. Die Böden dieses 1,4 Hektar großen Grundstücks sind mit vereinzelten Kalkstein- und Meeresablagerungen gefüllt, die die Region vor Millionen von Jahren bedeckten. Die Kalkschichten sind gut durchlässig und besonders reich an Rhizobakterien, den Mikroorganismen, die den Rebenwurzeln helfen, Stress zu widerstehen und Nährstoffe aufzunehmen. Daher der Name "mundus bacillus terrae" oder "elegante Mikroben der Erde". 100% Malbec. Ausbau für ca. 18 Monate in Französische Eiche, es wird nach Jahrgangsmerkmalen entschieden. 

Stephen Tanzer 
Saturated bright ruby. Aromas of brambly crushed blackberry and boysenberry, wild herbs and tropical bitter chocolate verge on exotic, but that's because this is one of Argentina's finest sites--and not just for Malbec. Thick and utterly seamless but with a weightless quality and razor-sharp definition that come from the limestone and calcaire-covered rock underneath a thin layer of marine deposits, not to mention the use of 50% whole clusters. Incredibly silky, concentrated wine with powerful saline minerality, a firm spine of mounting noble tannins and subtle chocolatey sweetness. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil describes this wine as "our purest Malbec expression for long aging." Adrianna was the first vineyard in Gualtallary, planted in 1992 and 1994 at a time when there was virtually no viticultural infrastructure here.

Wine Advocate 
The 2016 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae is from a cold and rainy El Niño vintage that broke the mold of typical Mendoza weather. The grapes were picked a bit later and achieved a slow, perfect ripening while retaining very good freshness. They used 50% full clusters in this cooler year. The wine was pressed before it finished fermenting (in concrete), and the juice—without skins, pips or stems—finished fermenting like a white in the foudre. When I tasted the wines after bottling, this felt a bit dizzy, with the aromatics coming and going, sometimes showing a little open. But the wine settled in bottle, and the palate shows the core of acidity that lifts the wine and provides incredible freshness; the tannins are ultra refined, and there is great overall balance. Yields were lower, so they only filled some 3,360 bottles. 

James Suckling 
Aromas of violets, blueberries and black licorice follow through to a full body with tight and restrained tannins and a lively acidity. An energetic and youthful wine. Can age wonderfully but exciting to taste now. 

Ageing: 18 months in barrel, oak treatment is decided according to the vintage characteristics. French Oak.