Catena Zapata

Adrianna Vineyard White Bones

Catena Zapata White Bones Chardonnay bottle image
Catena Zapata White Bones Chardonnay bottle image

POS Materials

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Catena Zapata

Adrianna Vineyard White Bones

White Bones Chardonnay comes from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels with about two-thirds undergoing malolactic fermentation. The name refers to the soil underneath these rows, which is layered with calcareous deposits and limestone as well as fossilized bones – the remnants of a river that used to pass through the region. 

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Tasting Notes

The White Bones Chardonnay has a bright lemon yellow color in the glass. The nose shows an enticing mélange of apples and pears interwoven with stone fruit notes and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with a rich and concentrated mouthfeel and flavors of ripe Anjou pears, apples, quince, and apricot flavors with hints of vanilla and nuttiness. The overall impression of the wine is one of balance with a bright, clean acidity and lingering finish.

Food 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. 

White Bones Chardonnay comes from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels with about two-thirds undergoing malolactic fermentation. The name refers to the soil underneath these rows, which is layered with calcareous deposits and limestone as well as fossilized bones – the remnants of a river that used to pass through the region. 

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Tasting Notes

The White Bones Chardonnay has a bright lemon yellow color in the glass. The nose shows an enticing mélange of apples and pears interwoven with stone fruit notes and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with a rich and concentrated mouthfeel and flavors of ripe Anjou pears, apples, quince, and apricot flavors with hints of vanilla and nuttiness. The overall impression of the wine is one of balance with a bright, clean acidity and lingering finish.

Food 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. 

Brand Materials

Tech Sheet Download Bottle Shot Download Acclaim Linkout
97
POINTS
WHITE WINE OF THE YEAR/BEST WHITE: “It’s a high bar to clear, but this is the best release yet of this remarkable Chardonnay, sourced from limestone soils in Gualtallary. Subtle, leesy and delicately oaked, with pithy acidity and notes of citrus and struck match, it wouldn’t look out of place in a line up of Grands Crus Burgundies.”
Tim Atkin, MW
96
POINTS
“Aromas of stone, chalk and cooked apple follow through to a full body, with so much sea salt, dried apple and pear character. Extremely long finish. Drink now or hold. Made from organically grown grapes.”
James Suckling
96
POINTS
“From vines planted in extremely chalky soils, this seems to be made of stones not grapes. Rich in mineral tones, profound in its succulent acidity and structure.”
Decanter
95
POINTS
“This is the second vintage of this elegant, spicy, whole bunch-fermented Malbec, made in more of a “European” style than many of the top Catena reds. Scented, floral and refreshing, it has notes of clove and pepper spice, crunchy berry fruit and a long, tapering, limestone influenced finish.”
Tim Atkin, MW
95
POINTS
“Very expressive with notes of mineral, honey, peach, pear and stone fruit. Brioche, citrus and honey flood the concentrated palate, all underscored by elegant energy and tension. A spectacular bottle of wine.” (PLATINUM)
Decanter World Wine Awards
95
POINTS
“Beautiful, multi-layered wine! Fresh, vibrant and Meursault-like with a fantastic minerality and flavours of nuts and honey with a hint of lime and eucalyptus. The finish is very long, chalky and textured. Expensive but very fine.” (GOLD)
Decanter World Wine Awards
95
POINTS
“The character of the soils used for the 2014 White Bones Chardonnay is so strong that it marked the wine more than the character of the vintage. 2014 was definitively riper than 2013, but the wine is still incredibly fresh and mineral. The parameters of these whites from Adrianna are just incredible, extremely low pH (around 3) and very high acidity (around nine grams in tartaric), which should provide for longevity. And great freshness and vibrant palates, of course.”
Wine Advocate
94+
“Bright yellow. Much more smoky and reduced on the nose than the White Stones, hinting at a grassy quality. Conveys an impression of stronger acidity and less sweetness than the White Stones yet this is creamier in the mid-palate in spite of its terrific cut and texture. The mineral and grassy flavors are accented by an element of orange peel on the back end. Perhaps less sexy today than the White Stones but this wine needs time to express itself and is likely to be long-lived by the standards of Argentine Chardonnay. Extended aeration brought a distinctly minty quality throughout. These vines are planted on crumbly calcaire while the White Stones is on calcaire over stone.”
Vinous
“This Chardonnay is from the latest vintage of the winery’s Vinos de Parcela, a calcareous, limestone-rich plot in its Adrianna Vineyard in Mendoza. ‘This [Chardonnay] shows that Argentina can produce world-class wines that could sit next to the best from any country,’ Liloy says, citing the Adrianna Vineyard’s heterogeneous soils and high altitude. Liloy notes that the large amount of calcium carbonate in the soil contributes to wines that are full of minerality, with complex aromas. White Bones, he adds, has been compared to Grand Cru Chablis.”
SevenFifty Daily
“Pale gold. Unexpected minty aroma at first (lemon balm?), then more herbal with a touch of cedar. On the palate, terrific freshness, cool and lightly minty too but also showing a stony mineral character. Highly distinctive.. Elegant, almost light weight in the mouth and a long, precise citrus finish. Of the two wines - White Bones and White Stones - this was the one I came back to most often.” (17.5 points)
Jancis Robinson

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:
The Adrianna Vineyard (Block 1)
Vineyard size:
267 acres
Soil composition:
Calcareous, Sand, and Stony
Training method:
VSP
Elevation:
4,575 feet
Vines/acre:
2200
Yield/acre:
1.2 tons
Exposure:
Northwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1992
Harvest time:
March - April
First vintage of this wine:
2009

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
Barriques
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
45 days
Maceration technique:
Battonage
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Size of aging container:
225L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
12-16 months
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