Catena Chardonnay

Catena Chardonnay bottle image

Wine Description

For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina. Laura Catena, great-granddaughter of winery founder Nicola Catena, has created a richly textured Chardonnay blend with floral notes, ripe tropical-fruit flavors, a strong mineral character and excellent acidity. Catena Chardonnay is sourced from three of the family´s vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Tupungato. In Agrelo, in Luján de Cuyo, the La Pirámide Vineyard grapes lend the wine ripe citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavors. Fruit from the Domingo Vineyard in the Villa Bastías district of Tupungato emphasizes those stone fruit flavors and gives the wine its rich texture and mouthfeel. The high-altitude Adrianna Vineyard in the Gualtallary district of Tupungato produces grapes with lively floral notes, a pronounced minerality, and a crisp, cool-climate acidity. From the marriage of these historic parcels emerges a wine of a unique character that has natural balance, concentration, and a distinct varietal identity.

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
“Argentina is best known for its malbec, and the Catena winery helped forge that reputation. The country’s chardonnay, though overlooked, is often fantastic, especially when grown in high-altitude vineyards. This attractively priced wine is lithe and racy, with peach and apricot notes and just enough oak to give it backbone.” (2.5 out of 3 stars)
— The Washington Post, May 2020
“The balsamic, smoky and spicy white 2018 Catena Chardonnay is a blend of different vineyards matured in oak barrels for ten months. 2018 was a very good harvest in Mendoza after two unusual vintages, the extremely wet 2016 and 2017 marked by frost and a very warm end of the season. 2018 is a "normal" year, with good quality and normal volumes. This Chardonnay is a fresh and varietal bottling with good balance; they used some destemmed grapes for the first time, trying to obtain less oxidative musts, and the wine comes through as a balanced combination of fruit and oak with a pleasant mouthfeel. It's really excellent for the price asked.”
— Wine Advocate, Oct 2019
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
The Domingo, La Pirámide, and Adrianna vineyards
Soil composition
Gravel and Stony
Training method
VSP
Elevation:
3,117-4,757 feet
Vines/acre:
2,200
Yield/acre:
2.5-3 tons
Exposure:
Northwestern
Harvest time:
March-April
First vintage of this wine:
1991
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Chardonnay
Fermentation container:
Barrels and Stainless steel tanks
Maceration technique:
Battonage
Malolactic fermentation:
Partial
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225 L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
10 months
Age of Aging Container:
New-Two years
Length of bottle aging:
12 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
5.6 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
2.25 g/L