Although not confirmed (nor denied) by the RVD but this is Queen Maxima's favorite wine. This topper from Catena Zapata. This Argentina is the flagship of one of the best wineries in Argentina.

With the Malbec 'Argentino' the properties of two large historic vineyards are perfectly combined. The grapes come from the Adrianna vineyard, at around 1500 meters, and the Nicasia vineyard, at an altitude of around 1200 meters. The Adrianne vineyard gives the wine its elegance and freshness, Nicasia gives it its strength and maturity. An ideal blend. The winemaking is the same as with the single vineyard wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wooden barrels of 225 liters and partly in barrels of 500 liters. The aging in new French oak barrels takes eighteen months. Part of the barrels is replaced by new ones during maturing. It is a wine that shows what the malbec stands for at height: an example of pure, ripe fruit and great power. The wine excels by its ripe fruit and by its balance, the combination of stimulating acids with delicious ripe fruit and intensity.

The Argentino has an exceptional concentration and complexity. In the glass it has an almost saturated dark purple color; the nose offers cassis, mocha and clove intersected with earth tones. It combines density and sweetness on the one hand with moving flavors of tobacco, dark berries, herbs and minerals; the aftertaste is dominated by sweet black and blue fruits and continues to bombard the palate with silky tannins for minutes. The storage potential is unprecedented.

Bodega Catena Zapata is seen as the flagship of the wineries in Argentina. Robert Parker's statement says a lot: 'when all is said and done, Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference, the standard of excellence'.