Winemaker Notes
Pairing: The is a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay that nonetheless possesses a crisp acidity making it the perfect foil for meatier fish like tuna and swordfish as well as seafood dishes prepared with butter and cream. Try this wine with a dish like Roasted Monkfish with Cardinal Sauce for an unforgettable meal.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A white with Chablis intensity and acidity with salt, sliced apple and stone character. Full body plus oyster shell and dried fruits. It goes on for minutes. This is clearly the best white wine of Argentina. Grand cru Burgundy quality.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A Vino De Parcela, the 2012 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones exudes ethereally light, elegant layers of lemongrass and ginger and is an herbaceous exploration of select rows from Block 1 of the site, robust in calcareous deposits and limestone at nearly 5,000-feet elevation. Age hasn’t dulled its senses, quite the opposite, with a floral minerality that sings in the glass. This wine is in a perfect place and will continue to shine another 10 years at least, the texture softened.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 White Bones Chardonnay is also sourced from selected rows in the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary, produced in exactly the same way as the White Stones Chardonnay with barrels developing a thin layer of yeasts on top that provide extra complexity and nuances. The oak feels better integrated each vintage and while 2012 was clearly warmer and riper than 2011, the wine keeps that sharp acidity that provide freshness. However, in 2012 this is almost challenged by its sibling White Stones, which nearly reaches the same level of sophistication and complexity. I'm dying to taste the 2013s of these two groundbreaking Chardonnays. This vintage also yielded fewer bottles, around 2,100 of the elixir.
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.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.