Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is aging really well, with spiced pineapple, buttery pastry, popcorn, lemon curd, gingerbread and roasted hazelnut. Flavorful and lively, with a sleek mid-palate and a long, rich and buttery finish. Still fresh with lively acidity, but one can sense the ripeness here.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Catena Alta Chardonnay was sourced from one lot in the Adrianna Vineyard. It was barrel-fermented in 50% new French oak with native yeasts followed by 12-18 months in barrel with frequent batonnage. Light gold-colored, it has a superb nose of pain grille, baking spices, mineral, nutmeg, and tropical notes. Medium-bodied, elegant, and impeccably balanced, this complex Chardonnay will drink well for another 5-6 years if not longer.
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Vinous
The 2007 Chardonnay Catena Alta showcases how time has refined this style, which was once broad and somewhat bulky. Golden in color, its aromas are marked by aging, with notes of roasted apple and hazelnuts. On the palate, however, this Chardonnay is vibrant, with an acidity that adds liveliness to the finish.
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Wine Spectator
A ripe, rich style, with delicious fig, warm piecrust, hazelnut and dried pineapple notes that all weave through the lengthy, juicy finish. An outstanding version of the showy style. Drink now through 2010. 2,500 cases imported.
Bodega Catena Zapata is one of Argentina's high-altitude Malbec pioneers. The Catena family began making wine in Mendoza in 1902. Nicolas Catena, third generation family vintner, was one of the first to see the potential of Mendoza's mountain vineyards for producing high quality Malbec. In 1994, he became the first Argentine to export a world-class bottling of Malbec under the Catena label. Nicolas is joined by his daughter, Dr. Laura Catena, in their relentless pursuit of world-class quality from the family's high-altitude vineyards. Laura has done extensive work in introducing Malbec and other varietal plant selections, soil and climate analysis, and sustainable practices throughout Mendoza. Head winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, has been at Catena Zapata since 2002 and works with Laura and Nicolas to make wines that express the family's vineyards and palate.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.