2020 Mundus Bacillus Terrae

Adrianna Vineyard - Mundus Bacillus Terrae, an ode to Malbec Founded in 1902, Catena Zapata is Argentina’s oldest winery still in the founding family’s hands. The winery architecture is distinguished by its Mayan-inspired pyramid design. It is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting the Malbec grape and in discovering extreme high-altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza. Named after Nicolás Catena Zapata’s youngest daughter, the Adrianna Vineyard is located at almost 1,500 meters elevation in Mendoza. The soils in this 1.4 hectare parcel are filled with scattered limestone and marine deposits that covered the region millions of years ago. The limestone layers are well-drained and particularly rich in rhizobacteria, the microorganisms that help vine roots withstand stress and absorb nutrients. Thus, the name "mundus bacillus terrae" or "elegant microbes of the earth." The 2020 vintage The summer of 2019 started with warmer than usual temperatures and then cooled off in February. Decreased snow in the winter months resulted in water shortages which led to slightly lower yields. Winemakers can't remember an earlier harvest year. The cool climate areas at extreme high altitude yielded beautifully concentrated wines with intense aromatics and high acidity.