Winemaker Notes
#31 Jeb Dunnuck Top 100 of 2025
The soil is layered with fossilized animal bones— remnants from a river that used to pass through the region. Lively citrus notes and white stone fruit on the nose. Voluptuous, intense flavors of pear, apple, and subtle floral and mineral hints.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is always aromatic, exotic and idiosyncratic, with its enchanting aromas of green fruit, green curry, citrus, ash, green passion fruit and spearmint. Almost full-bodied on the palate with lots of mineral tension. Bright acidity quickly takes over, followed by a long, bone-dry finish that goes on and on. So pure, unique and thought-provoking.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From an extreme high-altitude, grand cru-level site in the cools of Gualtallary, the 2022 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones is distinct in its aromas of the native jumilla that surround the site, providing an herbal, earthy invitation to the light-bodied, refined palate of gravelly texture and minerality. Light and ethereal in style, it shows its limestone roots, and just a hint of oak, given 12-16 months of aging in oak barrel, all second, third, or fourth use. This wine practically buzzes in the glass with elegance and verve. Another 20 years of aging is not unrealistic. An outstanding wine!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Perennially one of Argentina's most aromatically distinctive wines, the 2022 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Bones opens with its signature extroverted profile of resinous herbs, ginger and dried white flower aromas with an exotic touch of curry leaf from its biological élevage. The palate is broad, textural and weightlessly rich, exuding more body and understated power than its dramatically incisive White Stone counterpart. It culminates in a slow-moving, swelling finish that gradually gains dimension, energy and verticality with further aeration. This is a singular and definitive reference point for Argentine Chardonnay.
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Vinous
Sourced from a parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, planted at 1,450 meters, the 2022 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones delivers a distinctive flavor. Crafted in a cool, sunny vintage, the chalky soils of Gualtallary lend a compact character to this high-altitude Chardonnay. Yellow in hue, it opens with aromas of hops, ivy and pea shoots, accompanied by hints of mint, sage, ginger and lime. Slightly concentrated, with vibrant energy and tension.
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Wine Spectator
A stunning Chardonnay, with seemingly never-ending aromatics of fennel seed and toasted sesame seed mixed with pineapple sage and preserved lemon. The fennel and sesame seed notes join the intense, fresh and lively palate, driven by lemon curd and pomelo flavors, plus twinges of candied grapefruit that just keep going around cleansing minerality details on the structured and refreshing finish. Drink now through 2040.
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.