Chardonnay
2016
Laura Catena, daughter of famous Argentine wine pioneer, Nicolas Catena, was born in Buenos Aires. At the age of 14, her family moved to Berkeley, California where her father had taken a teaching position in the Economics Department. Laura went on to attend Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude in biology, and then she returned to the west coast, to Stanford University, to pursue a medical degree graduating in 1992. Today, Laura Catena is a practicing emergency-room physician....
See the LUCA detail page for more information on this brand
The G LOT, planted in 1992, was the first extreme high altitude Chardonnay planted in Mendoza (5,000 feet elevation). Rocky soils with dense calcareous sediments. Mineral aromatics and optimal acidity.
100% Chardonnay (80% barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast, 20% from tanks fermented at very low temperatures). 60% Malolactic Fermentation.
Enticing aromas of lemon crème, baking spices and mineral long finished. The aromas carry through to the palate, and are joined by hints of white peach flavours and, spiced baked pear, andastony/mineral flavour that creates a stylish wine that seems part New and part Old World. Pairs well with most fish, crab, chicken, and even many pork preparations. Particularly recommended with dishes using sautéed wild mushrooms or butter sauces.
A very textured chardonnay here with a subtle creamy layer to the lemon zest and minerals, with just a hint of herbs. Chalky and fresh on the palate with really attractive green fruit.
See detailed press review
A dense and layered chardonnay with lots of sliced cooked apples and pears. Some smoke and toasted oak. Dried pineapple, too. Shows richness and beauty. Full-bodied,succulent and delicious. More fruit-forward. A tangy finish
See detailed press review
The 2021 Chardonnay Luca G-Lot from the Uco Valley, Mendoza was 80% aged in 25% new barrels. Golden yellow in color. The aromas feature apple and pear as well as the predictable notes from the aging process such as flan and caramel, as well as hints of linden blossom and lime. In the mouth, the flow is nimble and slightly watery due to the year with refined freshness and a long, bold finish in which the wood again plays a key part. A rewarding white.
See detailed press review
Attractive aromas of white peach, dried mango, cream, smoked almond and flint. It’s medium-to full-bodied with crisp acidity. Deliciously ripe and creamy with vanilla and custard notes on the finish. Tangy at the end. Drink now.
See detailed press review
Attractive aromas of white peach, dried mango, cream, smoked almond and flint. It’s medium-to full-bodied with crisp acidity. Deliciously ripe and creamy with vanilla and custard notes on the finish. Tangy at the end.
See detailed press review
The 2020 G Lot Chardonnay comes from a warmer year when they picked 20 days earlier than usual. It fermented in French barrels where it matured for eight months. It has a very balsamic profile, it's still very young and the ripeness is contained, similar to the 2019 I tasted next to it. It's creamy and floral, with good freshness and a compact mouthfeel. 30,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2020.
See detailed press review
The 2020 Chardonnay Luca "G-Lot" hails from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, and was four-fifths aged in one-quarter new barrels. Yellow with a golden sheen. The nose offers notes of pineapple, cedar and yeast with hints of apple and ginger. Creamy and slick in the mouth, it makes an indulgent entrance before the voluminous flow and terse feel lead on to a fruity finish underlined by the oak.
See detailed press review
A juicy and fruity white with dried apple and honey character as well as some flan. Full and flavorful.
See detailed press review
Opens with green apple and toasted almond notes that join the rich palate of pear and Meyer lemon, adding vibrant spice and mineral acidity that linger nicely.
See detailed press review
Medium yellow. Apricot, pineapple and flowers on the nose, energized by limestone; more vibrant than the last couple vintages of this bottling. Dense, lively flavors of pineapple and flowers are supported by firm minerality, with an emerging note of guava adding complexity without any sacrifice of energy. This full-malo wine boasts sound acidity and finishes firm and long, with serious floral lift and nothing heavy about it. I look forward to following this lovely concentrated midweight.
See detailed press review
Not quite as exciting as the 2014 release perhaps, but this is still a very well made,
high altitude Chardonnay with a winning combination of pithy acidity, toasty oak and
butterscotch notes from partial malolactic fermentation.
At first, this high-altitude Chardonnay comes across as massively oaked, as if extracted from a wood pile. With time, it sheds its heavy oak blanket and shows secondary notes of spiced apple and melon. It's dominated by wood throughout, and if that's not your thing, this might not be for you. Full and generous, yet balanced...
See detailed press review
Medium straw-yellow color. Musky, truffley aromas of pineapple, citrus zest, spices and herbs. Rich, broad, pliant and ripe, with tropical fruit flavors complicated by a continuing herbaceous nuance and substantial vanillin oak. Doesn't have the depth or lift of the best vintages but this still more satisfying than the overwhelming majority of Argentine chardonnays. Finishes with chewy vanillin oak and a touch of minerality.
See detailed press review
Harvested from rock strewn soils in Argentina's highest vineyard at 4,700 feet, this is a full bodied, deep yellow chardonnay. The nose is even, complex and rich but not overtly showy, with well integrated pineapple/peach, crème brule, herbs/evergreen. It's full bodied, quite rich, creamy and hot on the finish, with tobacco smoke. It's big and powerful - in search of finesse but not quite finding it. Excellent to outstanding length. Tasted September 2012 --David Lawrason
See detailed press review
The 2021 G Lot Chardonnay is an elegant and harmonious Chardonnay produced with grapes from a plot in the Adrianna Vineyard from Gualtallary at 1,400 meters above sea level. It fermented in 500-liter oak barrels, where it matured for one year. It has a restrained and classical nose of barrel-fermented Chardonnay, faintly spicy and smoky with purity of fruit, very clean and precise. The wine is sharp and austere, fresh and with chalky minerality.
See detailed press review