2023 Luca Paraje Altamira Malbec Uco Valley

Luca is the private label of Dr. Laura Catena — fourth-generation Argentine vintner, Harvard-trained biologist and Stanford-trained physician, author, and arguably the most influential ambassador for Argentine wine in the world. Recognized internationally as the "face" of Argentine wine, she founded Luca in 1999, naming it after her firstborn son, with a singular vision: small-batch production, the highest possible quality, and a fierce commitment to terroir that could rival the great wines of the world. 

Her accolades are extensive. Laura was named "Woman of the Year" by The Drinks Business in 2022, received the Meininger "Outstanding Achievement Award," and was named "Old Vine Hero" by The Old Vine Conference — its inaugural recipient, in 2023. She was also recognized as one of Wine Business Monthly's 2025 Wine Industry Leaders and, in 2023, was named Honorary President of the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust). She is the author of three books, including Vino Argentino, Argentina's definitive wine guide. 

The Catena name is foundational to Argentine wine's standing in the United States. Through the family's Bodega Catena Zapata — the country's oldest family-owned winery, founded in 1902 — the Catenas pioneered high-altitude viticulture in the Uco Valley and were central to establishing Argentine Malbec as a serious, age-worthy, collectible category on American shelves and wine lists. Laura's father, Nicolás Catena Zapata, was named Decanter Man of the Year in 2009 — the first South American to receive the honor — along with Wine Spectator's Distinguished Service Award and Der Feinschmecker's Lifetime Achievement Award. 

With Luca, Laura pioneered grower relationships across Mendoza, seeking out small old-vine vineyards whose fruit had previously been lost to bulk wine. Luca is the first Argentine winery to bottle all of its Malbec exclusively from old vines. Winemaking is led by Luis Reginato, a second-generation winemaker and viticulturist who has worked with the Catena family since 1999 and serves as Vineyard Director for the Catena Zapata family vineyards. Reginato helped create a Sustainability Certification for Argentina and provided the scientific basis for establishing Paraje Altamira as a formal appellation in the Uco Valley.

This is the kind of Malbec that makes $50 Napa Cab drinkers rethink their habits. $25.98 for a 93-point, limestone-driven expression from one of Argentina's most important new terroirs. Pull the cork tonight — it'll still be hitting its stride a decade from now.