Alta Chardonnay
2021
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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Catena Alta is an assemblage of historic rows within the Catena family State vineyards. The blend of these historic rows, like the combination of sounds that create a symphony, gives us highly aromatic and elegant wine that speaks for the terroir and the vines that have been tended by the four generations of the Catena Family. "Alta" means high in Spanish. This makes reference to the high altitude vineyards from where the grapes are sourced, and to the high end wines that are produced with this special grapes.
At almost 5,000 feet elevation in the Andean foothills, the Adrianna vineyard's calcareous soils and cool climate are the promised land of Chardonnay. The fruit from the Adrianna vineyard has a purity of flavors and a minerality that is particular to this vineyard and can not be found anywhere else in Mendoza. The nearby, gravel-covered Domingo Vineyard makes up 20% of the blend. Elevage: 14 months in French oak barrels.
A light gold hue here with a creaminess to the nose and palate. Dried lemon and a hint of brioche. A rounder, medium- to full-bodied chardonnay with excellent balance and poise. Some botrytis here with around 30% malolactic fermentation.
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The 2021 Chardonnay Catena Alta from Villa Bastías, Uco Valley was made with slightly botyric grapes aged for 12 months in a third new 500-liter barrels. Golden in color. The Sauterne-like aromas include ripe fruit, stewed apple and pleasant oaky notes. Sugary on the palate with freshness wrapped in a refined texture, the refined oaky flavors return at the back of the mouth.
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This is a serious white with dried apple, pineapple and white peach to the stone and honeysuckle character. Full-bodied, bright and fruity with a fascinating undertone of spice and cream. Drink or hold.
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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.
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The 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.
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Pressed in whole bunches, the 2019 Chardonnay Catena Alta combines grapes from Villa Bastías and Gualtallary, both in Tupungato. The mature perfume includes pear and apricot with herbal hints that soar over a beautifully deep layer of French oak in which the wine was fermented and spent 14 months. The butter and cream are held in check by the excellently judged acidic tension making this a velvety, delicate and refreshing white.
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Two single vineyards at almost 5000 feet elevation at Gualltallary. Tupungato is the engine behind the Catena Alta Historic rows. The Adrianna vineyard’s calcareous soils and cool climate bring purity of flavour, stones and minerality. The gravel-covered Domingo vineyard makes up 20 percent of the blend, bringing even more freshness and minerality. The label walks the line between rich and spare, with baked pear, mandarin orange and spicy leesy notes, with the nutty, mineral wet stone balancing the equation.
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The 2021 Catena Alta Chardonnay is a textbook expression of a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in 500-liter barrels, where the wine matured for 14 months. It has good ripeness, 13.7% alcohol and full development of aromas and flavors, waxy apples, white flowers intermixed with smoke and spice, coming through as balanced, complete and seamless, fresh and with a low pH and notable acidity.
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