Mundus Bacillus Terrae 2016 is Catena Zapata's single-parcel Malbec from Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, and was born during one of the coldest years Mendoza has experienced in the past 30 years. El Niño saw a prolonged period of rain and cool weather, which reduced the harvest, resulting in a production of only about 3,360 bottles. The grapes were harvested later than usual and ripened slowly, preserving their freshness.
This is clearly reflected in the wine. Red fruit aromas stand out more than black fruit, the acidity is crisp, and the alcohol content is lower than in warmer vintages. Fermentation began in concrete tanks, incorporating 50% whole clusters; the wine was then pressed early, and the juice completed fermentation in oak foudres (large wooden vats) in the same manner as white wine. It was then aged for 18 months in French oak.
The style of this wine prioritizes finesse over intensity, and the 2016 vintage maximizes this characteristic even more than usual. It was a cold and challenging vintage. It is best enjoyed through 2034.
Robert Parker (97)
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 (96)
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.
Jancis Robinson (18)
100% Malbec from a 1.4-ha parcel in the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary at 1,390 m. The calcareous soils are ‘well drained and particularly rich in rhizobacteria, the microorganisms that help vine roots withstand stress and absorb nutrients’ – hence the name. 75% begins fermentation in concrete (50% whole bunch), 25% (juice only) in oak foudre. 18 months in French oak. TA 7.4 g/l, pH 3.45.
Still deep crimson with an evolved rim. Complex and remarkably fresh. A savoury envoy from the Andes with structure but good-quality tannins. Jancis Robinson
