Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae 2020 Catena Zapata

Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux)
98/100 punten 
Always a pleasure to taste this wine, from 1.4ha of limestone soils at 1,390m elevation, and once again it delivers at the top of its category. It has a reticence at first, with an austere opening that punches through to fragrant dried and freshly cut sage and fennel herbs, rich with incense, black tea, crushed flowers, blackcurrant, cassis and raspberry fruits, spiced pear, chalk, graphite, white truffle. It's hard to stop when it comes to naming the flavours, so drawn out and precisely crafted is the construction. 475 cases from winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Fermentation in concrete with 50% whole cluster, followed by ageing in 75% French oak barrels, 25% in large oak casks.

Decanter
98/100 punten  
From the 1.4ha vineyard at almost 1,3900m elevation, this 100% Malbec is intensely fragrant and floral on the nose with milk chocolate and pink flowers. So lovely, smooth, silky and chalky, a subtle and satisfying balance between lively acidity, concentrated fruit and knitted tannin structure. Ripe but controlled, gorgeous salinity and spice throughout as well as pure blackcurrant and cherry fruit. Savoury aspects dominate the finish but this has a lot to like and feels well constructed with a juicy core. A gorgeous wine with serious ageing potential. The long finish makes you want another glass straight away. Ageing 18 months in French oak barrels. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil.

Tim Atkin MW
98/100 punten 
Named after the bacteria that live in the celebrated Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, Mundus Bacillus Terrae has scaled new heights of complexity and finesse in 2020. Fermented with whole clusters, before ageing in older barrels, foudres and stainless steel, this is wonderfully fresh and chalky, with filigree tannins, crunchy red cherry and goji berry fruit and tobacco leaf top notes.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
97/100 punten 
Tasting the 2020 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae next to the 2019 showed a different aromatic profile of darker fruit, denoting ripeness and sun. The wine was still very young with a luxurious, creamy texture and mouthfeel. 2020 was an extremely dry year (70% lower than the average with just 282 liters!), and the grapes were picked two to three weeks earlier. It has a bright, saturated color and a heady nose with ripe berries and a spicy, smoky twist from 19 months in oak vats. It's medium to full bodied, with a soft texture and velvety tannins, sleek and seamless. 5,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2021.

Vinous
97/100 punten 
The 2020 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae hails from a small parcel of a vineyard in Gualtallary, Uco Valley and was barrel-aged for 18 months. Dark purple in the glass. The expressive, layered nose delivers notes of blackberry, plum, lavender and violet with a pinch of herbs. Intense and concentrated but agile in feel, the palate is taut, while the fine-grained, chalky tannins are enlivened by the acidity, which teases out the lovely ripe flavors toward the end. This is a substantial but juicy red, everything you’d want from a high altitude wine.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Independent)
95/100 punten 
The single-varietal 2020 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec is deep garnet-purple in color. Blackberry compote, black cherries, and plum preserves spring from the glass, followed by hints of violets, crushed rocks, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate delivers bright, energetic black fruits with loads of mineral accents and a refreshing line, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and earthy.

Colin Hay (The Drinks Business)
97/100 punten
More subtle and less immediately expressive than the Nicolas. Floral. Roses and peonies. Dark berry and cherry. Taut and tense and tender. Nicely delineated too. The tannins are, for now, just a little more strict – very linear – giving this a somewhat four-square character on the palate; needs time in the cellar but the potential is evident. Concentrated. Dense. Long.