Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Bones

Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Bones

Wine Description

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. 

Remington-Mendoza
Laura Catena sits at a table with a glass of wine
Malbec Grapes
Alejandro Vigil (Chief Winemaker) and Laura Catena Tasting
Malbec Clone in La Piramide Vineyard
Nicolás Catena
Bodega Catena Zapata
Bodega Catena Zapata
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Acclaim
“More expensive than most wines I recommend, this wine demonstrates the potential of terroirs that, to a great degree, have yet to be unlocked in Mendoza. From the Adrianna Vineyard, almost 5,000 feet high in Gualtallary, Catena Zapata makes two extraordinary chardonnays from nearby parcels that have different soils. One, White Stones, is made from an area with gravelly ground, and tends to be more floral and herbal. This wine is from a plot with more limestone, in which fossilized bones are often found, hence the name. It’s generally more stony and austere. Both wines are subtle, nuanced and elegant, sneakily and almost surprisingly intense.”
— New York Times, Mar 2022
“Honeysuckle, ripe pear and some dried apple. So perfumed. Full-bodied with incredible intensity and length. So much green-apple character and lots of flowers. Dried mango, too. The touch of flor growth in the barrel gives this unique character. Goes on for minutes on the finish. Endless, vibrant acidity. Minerally texture.”– (#2 of 100)
— James Suckling, Dec 2021
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Gualtallary
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
Bottles produced of this wine:
4800
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Maceration technique:
Battonage
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Size of aging container:
225L
Type of oak:
French
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.2
Acidity:
8.1 g/L
Alcohol:
12.6 %
Residual sugar:
1.88 g/L
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Wine Production

Cold settling for 12 hours in stainless steel tanks at 6ºC. Fermentation in French oak barrels for 45 - 95 days at 16°C. Battonage. Partial malolactic fermentation.  Aged for 12-16 months in 2nd, 3d and 4th use French oak barrels.
 

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About the Vineyard

"White Bones"  makes reference to a spot of vines planted over a patch of gravel on the topsoil, and thick layers of calcareous deposits and limestone in the subsoil. Fossilized animal bones can be found among this layers. These are remains of animals and fish that lived in stream bed area.  There are many theories about why the grapes coming from these rows have such distinctive floral aromatics with an earthy minerality in the nose and palate. It may be related to the minerals in the soil or to the effects that the calcareous deposits have on root penetration.  At this extreme high altitude, the nights are cool, only a few degrees above freezing even in the summer. The night-day temperature difference is between 15 and 20 degrees and the sunlight is more intense because of the altitude.