Bodega Catena Zapata : Adrianna "White Stones" Chardonnay 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of Adrianna "White Stones" Chardonnay 2024 by Bodega Catena Zapata

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine displays a beautiful pale yellow hue, elegantly highlighted with silvery glints.

Nose
The bouquet expresses aromas of grapefruit, white pear and white flowers, underpinned by a chalky minerality. With aeration, delicate notes of linden blossom and fresh almond emerge, along with a hint of salinity.

Palate
The attack is lively, with a crisp acidity. The texture is sleek, leading into a vibrant, long and particularly mouth-watering finish, illustrating the remarkable precision of this high-altitude wine.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée pairs wonderfully with seafood such as oysters or raw shellfish, as well as white fish tartare. It also goes very well with grilled fish, shellfish served with a lightly creamy sauce, or mildly aged hard cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring
This wine is best served at a temperature between 10 and 12°C. With excellent aging potential, it can be cellared until around 2039.

A Pure High-Altitude Chardonnay from the Heart of Mendoza by Bodega Catena Zapata

The Estate
Founded in 1902 by Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is a major benchmark of winegrowing in Argentina. Located in the Mendoza region, this historic estate has played a key role in bringing international recognition to Argentine wines, driven by Nicolás Catena Zapata, a true pioneer of high-altitude viticulture. Today, the estate remains family-owned. Laura and Adrianna Catena now lead the property, carrying on this legacy of excellence through in-depth research into high-altitude terroirs and an approach centred on regenerative viticulture.

The Vineyard
The grapes come from the Adrianna vineyard, perched at 1,450 metres above sea level in the Gualtallary area, in the town of Tupungato, within the Mendoza region. The cuvée is crafted from a selection of rows within Block 1, a 2.5-hectare micro-plot. This distinctive terroir is characterised by limestone soils covered with white oval stones, which inspired the wine's name.

The Vintage
2024 was marked by cooler-than-usual climatic conditions. This particular weather led to a later harvest, allowing the grapes to develop a beautifully balanced profile with great finesse.

Winemaking and Ageing
Following hand-harvesting, the musts undergo cold settling. Fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged on its lees for 45 to 95 days, during which a yeast veil develops. Ageing continues for 12 to 16 months in second- and third-use French oak barrels. Finally, the cuvée is bottled without fining or filtration.

Grape Variety
100% Chardonnay