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 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.
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.