
- 94 points -
James Suckling, March 2019Aromas of cooked apples, pie crust, cooked lemons and toffee follow through to a full-bodied, firm and tight palate and a vivid, intense finish. Serious white, as always.
See detailed press reviewAlta Chardonnay
2018
At heart, Catena is a story about family. Family who poured their lives, passion and spirit into transforming scrub-laden desert into some of the most beautiful and unique vineyards in the world. Family that passed their knowledge from generation to generation, blending collective memory with state-of-the-art science from the new world of viticulture. Family who, through risk-taking, faith and a little luck, transformed their treasured Mendoza terroir into the fountainhead of the award-winning...
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80% of the fruit from this vintage comes from the Adrianna Vineyard, sitting at an altitude of 4,757 ft in Uco Valley, Mendoza. The remaining 20% comes from Domingo Vineyard, at 3,675 ft, with loamy, limestone soil and a surface covered completely by gravel.
Whole clusters of grapes were pressed and fermented in 500 L French oak barrels with natural yeasts at low temperatures. 70% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 14 months in first, second and third use French oak barrels.
A bouquet of white fruit and floral aromas intermingle with delicate citrus notes. Concentrated stone fruits, ripe pear and apple greet the palate with just a hint of minerality. The finishes is long and complex with crisp acidity.
Aromas of cooked apples, pie crust, cooked lemons and toffee follow through to a full-bodied, firm and tight palate and a vivid, intense finish. Serious white, as always.
See detailed press reviewThe new oak has been reduced to just 10% on this wine, making it appealingly fresh and fruit driven. Sourced from Gualtallary and Villa Bastías at the northern end of the Uco Valley, it still has some peachy sweetness, but it’s complemented by notes of citrus and orange zest and a long, flowing finish.
See detailed press reviewThe excellent, subtle and elegant 2018 Catena Alta Chardonnay had a shy nose that took some time in the glass to take off. It's more subtle than in-your-face, and the palate is super elegant, with much better integrated oak than previous vintages. There is great freshness and very good acidity that comes through as pure, crystalline and focused, with a mineral mouthfeel.
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