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
“I’ve not had another chardonnay that tastes quite like White Bones, named for the fossilized animal bones that make up a portion of the vineyard’s limestone alluvium. Its deep herbal complexity perfumes the entire length of the wine, approaching with tarragon and mint then ending with toasted-peppercorn spice in the finish. The draw of this wine is not its fruit character, but it’s there if you look—a Meyer lemon freshness that could be credited for this wine’s kinetic energy. That drive informs the surety of its gait, elegantly presenting itself even in its youth, suggesting it would become even more interesting with age.”  — Vinous, Jul 2023
“The nose of the 2020 White Bones Chardonnay is an explosion of thyme and rockrose, aromatic, open, expressive, outspoken, showy and exuberant. It also has notes of white flowers and citrus, pine needles and incense, continuously developing new layers, curry, something smoky, more and more aromatic herbs, nuanced, complex and with a magnetic attraction that makes you go back to the glass over and over again. This was harvested all at the same time, whereas it was sometimes harvested over four different moments in the past; so this is a bit different and an extraordinary year for this wine, transcending the conditions of the year, with lower alcohol and pH (12.5% and 3.1) than the 2021, despite coming from a warmer year. This is very tasty and long, stony (more than White Stones!) and very persistent. Amazing juice!”
— Wine Advocate, Nov 2022
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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:
3.1
Acidity:
8.25 g/L
Alcohol:
12.5 %
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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.