La Celia Pioneer Chardonnay 2016
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James
Suckling
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James Suckling
A very seductive chardonnay brimming with peaches, pears and vanilla. The medium-bodied palate is both juicy and silky. A long and very clean finish. This is so fresh that it could easily hold for at least five years.
Other Vintages
2017-
James
Suckling
Founded 130 years ago, La Celia is the oldest winery in the Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina.
It was the first winery in the region to plant the Malbec variety, which is currently the country’s signature variety around the world.
Eugenio Bustos, founder of La Celia, had received Malbec vines in a trade for the finest horse. And was the first to plant the variety –originally from France– in the Uco Valley.
As a result, Finca La Celia was born in 1890, named in honor of his daughter. Today, the tradition lives on in our wines which are the expression of a terroir that is unique to the world.
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 a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.