Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay 2021 750ml
If you're into Chardonnay with serious character, the 2021 White Bones from Catena Zapata is one to know. Grown high up in the Andes and crafted with precision, this wine balances elegance and intensity in a way that's hard to forget. The 2021 shows lively citrus, pear and green apple alongside thyme, rosemary, white flowers and subtle spice. Focused and elegant on the palate, it has a chalky texture, vibrant acidity and a pronounced saline-mineral character, leading to a long, clean finish.
James Suckling | JS 99
Published: Mar 5, 2023
What an exotic, perfumed yet elegant nose here full of thyme, local herbs, green papaya, ginger and green curry. Lemon grass and lime zest. So fresh and elegant on the palate with a chalky texture to the center-palate. Really transparent, subtle, quiet and long. A unique chardonnay from a cool and elegant vintage, but intense and idiosyncratic. Unique to the landscape. Drink now or hold.
The Wine Advocate | RP 98+
Published: Nov 30, 2022
Drink: 2023-2031
The 2021 White Bones Chardonnay was harvested at two different points of ripeness and then blended into the final wine, which is subtler than the explosive 2020 I tasted next to it but with the same palette of aromas—thyme, rosemary, lavender, rockrose, white flowers, citrus, pine needles, incense, curry and spices—and the palate is seamless, mineral and with a chalky texture. It's brilliant and expresses the variety, vintage and soil perfectly, but today I give the edge to the 2020, which I think transcends the vintage. 6,240 bottles produced.
Some of the vineyards from Catena are suffering from phylloxera, and parts of some vineyards have to be grubbed up and replanted.
Wine Spectator | WS 95
Published: Nov 30, 2023
Distinctive and gorgeously layered, with intense savory aromas of pineapple sage, ginger and chive flower that join the vibrant palate, bursting with tangelo and white peach flavors. Ends on a clean and refreshing note, with wet stone details, echoing back to the persistent core flavors. Drink now through 2033. 520 cases made, 225 cases imported.
Catenazapata.com
Nicolás Catena Zapata dared to plant vines where no one thought they would ripen. His high-altitude wine revolution culminated in the discovery of a new terroir for wine, the Adrianna Vineyard, at almost 5,000 feet elevation.
Today, the team at the Catena Institute of Wine is dedicated to studying every meter, every rock, every insect and microorganism in the Adrianna Vineyard, making it perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world.
Over the years, Nicolás Catena Zapata discovered the influence altitude has on fruit quality. As one climbs the altitudes of the Andes the average temperature decreases and the amplitude between day and night temperatures increases.
This environment provides the ideal climate for grape maturation. Each of the Catena Zapata family vineyards is divided into parcels according to their soil composition. These parcels are farmed individually, with an eye on encouraging their most authentic fruit expression.
Chardonnay Description: Strong Mineral and citric character. Lively floral notes. Optimal acid balance.
Technical Specs
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Natural Cork
Harvest: 2021
Oak: 12–16 months in 2nd, 3rd and 4th-use French oak
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyard: Adrianna Vineyard, White Bones parcel, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Uco Valley
Vineyard Area: Approx. 2.2 hectares
Altitude: 1,450m
Soil: Alluvial and wind-borne deposits with calcareous fossilised marine remains
Vinification: Cold settling for 12 hours at 6°C; fermented in French oak barrels and 500L French oak roll-fermentors at up to 16°C for 45–95 days; partial malolactic fermentation and bâtonnage
Region: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Classification: Mendoza
Serving Temperature: 10–12°C
Decanting: 30–60 minutes
Food Pairing: Oysters, lobster, shellfish, grilled fish, tuna, roast chicken and creamy seafood dishes.