Winemaker Notes
Golden yellow in color. The aromas and flavors of fresh fruit such as pear and peach accompanied by citrus notes such as orange peel. On the nose, honey flavors and mineral touches can be found. The French oak provides notes of caramel. Exquisite and balanced.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Alta Collection hails from San Pablo in the Uco Valley. Fermented and aged for eight months in French oak barrels, it presents a green hue. Aromas of pear and aniseed are complemented by notes of creamed corn and mountain herbs, all set against a backdrop of cedar and cocoa. Dry, rich and creamy, the vibrant and concentrated palate offers a taut and refreshing mouthfeel with a long-lasting finish. This is a savory white crafted in a warm vintage.
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.