CATENA ZAPATA Chardonnay 'White Stones' Adrianna Vineyard - Gualtallary 2020 Bottle (los)

Description

Catena Zapata White Stones Chardonnay 2020 is an outstanding wine from selected rows in the Adrianna Vineyard, renowned for its unique terroir featuring oval white stones. This vintage has earned significant acclaim, including 97 points from James Suckling and 97 points from Vinous, which praised its vibrant aromas of lemon zest, pineapple, and white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky texture, lively acidity, and flavours of green apple and pear, complemented by salinity and a long, crisp finish. The Wine Advocate awarded it 96 points for its round mouthfeel and fine balance. Decanter highlights its purity and minerality. Best enjoyed from 2023 to 2030, this Chardonnay exemplifies the elegance of its high-altitude origins.

*****

JAMES SUCKLING 97 points
Lemon zest, pineapple, white pepper, cloves, jasmine, crushed stones and chalk on the nose. Medium-bodied, focused and phenolic. Very fine, mineral and tight with persistent energy and vivid acidity. Creamy, with salted-almond notes at the end. Drink from 2023."

VINOUS 97 points
Drinking Window 2022 - 2030
From: Vibrant Whites from the Cool Terroirs of Argentina (Aug 2022)
The 2020 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was barrel-aged for 16 months. Greenish-yellow in the glass. The intense, layered nose presents bold aromas of green apple, pear, hints of linden blossom and ginger with touches of lemon and herbs. In the mouth, it’s concentrated, rooted in a lively, heightened freshness while maintaining the variety’s expansive flow, which also delivers salinity and long-lasting flavor. A thrilling white that defines this nook of the Uco Valley. - By Joaquín Hidalgo on August 2022

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96 points
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drink Date: 2023 - 2029
I had the opportunity to taste two vintages (2020 and 2021) of the top whites side by side and could see the differences of the two years quite clearly, as the wines express the natural conditions of the year quite faithfully. The 2020 White Stones Chardonnay is riper than the other three wines; it's a very good wine, but it shows the warmer year with a rounder mouthfeel, faintly creamy, still a little closed in the nose, which slowly reveals yellow fruit and some spice. The palate is quite gentle, with 13% alcohol and very good balance. 7,500 bottles produced.
Some of the vineyards from Catena are suffering from phylloxera, and parts of some vineyards have to be grubbed up and replanted.
Published: Nov 30, 2022

DECANTER 95 points
Tasted by: Amanda Barnes, Ben Gubbins, Dirceu Vianna Junior MW
(at Decanter Tasting Suite, London, 01 Aug 2022)
Part of Premium South American whites: panel tasting results
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2032
Catena Zapata was founded in 1902, with a focus on high altitude plantings in Mendoza. Its famed Adrianna vineyard sits above 1,450m, ensuring a quality crop with good acid retention as a result of the cool night-time temperatures. The wine is 100% Chardonnay from a small selection of vines on stony, free-draining soils with a topsoil of oval-shaped white stones. Fermented in French oak, the wine also goes through partial malolactic fermentation before ageing 12-16 months in seasoned French oak barrels with batonnage throughout. Amanda Barnes: Great purity and wet stone character. Vibrant acidity and great tension on the finish. Ben Gubbins MW: Fresh, light and vibrant with red apple skin, lemon, good intensity and tension. Dirceu Vianna Junior MW: Graceful and attractive with lovely aromas of citrus fruits, yellow plum, star fruit, fresh dough and hints of sweet spices. Refined, silky texture and beautiful underlining freshness.

JANCIS ROBINSON 17+ points
Very much like the White Bones but a touch more lactic with a bit more noticeable oak. Lean but with a heavy-weave, silky texture. High, well-balanced acid. Less austere than White Bones. Both beautiful wines. (SCJ)

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Catena Zapata is a renowned winery located in Mendoza, Argentina, celebrated for producing high-quality wines, especially its exceptional Malbec. Founded in 1902 by Nicola Catena, the winery has played a pivotal role in establishing Argentina's wine industry, focusing on the significance of terroir and altitude in grape cultivation. Catena Zapata emphasizes sustainable farming practices and meticulous vineyard management, with vineyards situated at various altitudes in the Andes foothills. The winery is known for its single-vineyard wines, which highlight the unique characteristics of each site. Its flagship wine, Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, is praised for its depth, complexity, and rich flavors of dark fruit and spice, solidifying Catena Zapata's reputation as a top choice for wine enthusiasts and collectors.