This is a phenomenal set of new releases from one of Mendoza's pioneers, and the wines are, without a doubt the top tier of what can be produced in the beautiful Mendoza region. Of course, I have a soft spot for Catena wines, having attended a Tango party or two at Laura Catena's home in San Francisco. The good Dr. Catena knows how to entertain.
2018 Catena Zapata White Stones Chardonnay
98+ WA / 98 JS
$110.89/bottle - Buy Now (ETA 7-10 Days)
The outstanding 2018 White Stones Chardonnay epitomizes the expression of the grape in the cooler-climate and high-altitude location of the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary. There is rectitude, austerity and elegance, a subtle wine with great clout and intensity that comes through as chiseled, focused, symmetric and pure, more in the style of Roulot than Coche-Dury, with superb integration of all the elements and fine minerality. This is more about the place and vintage than the grape, which feels like a good way to transmit the chalky soils of the selected plots. Simply superb, possibly the finest vintage for this bottling so far. 6,600 bottles were filled in May 2019. Luis Gutierrez – The Wine Advocate
A very subtle yet intense White Stones on the nose with stone, bone, lemon-rind and dried-apple aromas that follow through to a full body that is very tight and closed, but shows a compact fruit structure of sliced mangoes and cooked apples. Vivid finish, turning to flamboyant minerality. In reserve still. Better in 2022. James Suckling
2018 Catena Zapata White Bones Chardonnay
100 JS / 97+ WA
$124.89/bottle - Buy Now (ETA 7-10 Days)
#11 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2020
This is really exuberant at this stage with fantastic aromas of honeysuckle, salt, chalk and dried apples and pears. Full body. Dense, vivid fruit with a linear frame of wonderful, energetic acidity. The energy and length just goes on for minutes. Soulful white. Argentina’s answer to Montrachet. Stares you straight in the eyes. Drink or hold. - James Suckling
The 2018 White Bones Chardonnay shows a slightly showier personality than the 2018 White Stones, but it's less balsamic and minty than the 2017 White Bones. But this bottling is always a little more aromatic and forward than the more backward White Stones; there are flowers, pollen, herbs and white pepper. But both whites are more about the place and vintage, more about the chalky soils that give them a very specific mouthfeel, with a dry, austere personality. 6,000 bottles were filled in May 2019. - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
2017 Catena Zapata Adrianna Fortuna Terrae Malbec
98 WA / 98 JS
$124.89/bottle - Buy Now (ETA 7-10 Days)
I felt more austerity and better balance in the 2017 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae compared with the wines from warmer years; it feels harmonious and very integrated. There is some citrus freshness in the nose, remarkable for the conditions of the year. The palate shows even more serious than the nose, with chalky minerality and a drying sensation that adds to the grip, giving it a profile that I like very much, making it feel like a superb year for this bottling. This is really very good this year, and the acidity is very integrated. In fact, the wine is very balanced and compact, with all the ingredients greatly integrated. 5,400 bottles were filled in October 2018. Luis Gutirrez – The Wine Advocate
A dense and layered red with fantastic, soft and silky tannins that entice every inch of your palate. Full-bodied yet agile and energetic. Great depth and richness. So much violet and blackberry character. Hints of asphalt. Drink in 2022, but already a classic. James Suckling
2017 Catena Zapata Adrianna River Stones Malbec
100 JS / 98 WA
$199.89/bottle - Buy Now (ETA 30 Days)
Incredible aromas of blackberries, hot stones, wet earth and flowers. Full-bodied, it floats across the palate with ultra-fine tannins that melt into the wine. Superb, long finish of subtle fruit and terroir-defined subtleties. Try in 2022, but already a dream to taste. James Suckling
One of three Malbecs from the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary, the 2017 Adrianna Vineyard River Stones was surprisingly fresh for the conditions of the year. They discarded a small plot that was a little too ripe. The wine fermented with full clusters and finished fermenting without skins or stems (like a white), and this was done with 100% of the volume, because in previous years, it was done for maybe 70% of the wine. This helps with the texture and the minerality, a mouthfeel rather than a flavor, reminiscent of the stony soils covered with limestone. This tends to be the most austere of the three bottlings, but it shows a little more fruit; and there is a lot of acidity, but it's nicely coated by the fruit. The result is a beautifully textured Malbec that seems to open up slowly in the glass—the violet and berry aromas get complicated by some spice (curry?), and the palate feels more layered. This is a superb expression of the austere wildness of Gualtallary. 4,800 bottles were filled in December 2018. Luid Gutirrez – The Wine Advocate
