Chain Alta Chardonnay 2019

Founded in 1902, Argentina's Bodega Catena Zapata is known for its pioneering role in the revival of Malbec and in the discovery of extreme high-altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza. It was Nicolás Catena who propelled Argentine wine into the modern era. A widely travelled academic economist, he learnt a great deal in the 1970s from the great Bordeaux wines and the up-and-coming Napa wines. In the early 1980s, Catena concluded that the key was to plant the right varieties in the right place, particularly in cooler, higher sites.

The Catena Alta Chardonnay cuvée is a blend from the Catena family's historic plots. The name of the cuvée refers to the high-altitude vineyards (over 1,500 metres) where the grapes for this Chardonnay are grown. Harvested as whole bunches, the grapes are pressed, then 100% fermented in 500-litre French oak barrels with natural yeasts at low temperature. The wine is then aged for 14 months in French oak, of which 30% does not undergo malolactic fermentation. Only first-, second- and third-fill barrels are used. This wine reveals notes of green apple, ripe pear, white peach, honeysuckle, chamomile, melon, lemon, fresh butter, chalk, biscuit and smoked wood. The palate is ample and held together by razor-sharp acidity. The finish is persistent, fresh and mineral.

Although Argentina is considered the "new world", its wine tradition is much older than one might think, dating back to the time of Spanish colonization, in the 16th century and then by Italian settlers. Unlike Chile, wine has long been part of the country's culture.



No wine-producing country in the world has made more progress in the last years of the 20th century (on the viticultural and oenological level and necessarily financially) which has allowed the country's wine producers to increase quality levels and have succeeded in consolidating an international export market. Argentina has now become the fifth largest wine producing country in the world, after France, Italy, Spain and the United States.



Viticulture is practiced mainly in the foothills of the Andes, and more particularly in Mendoza, where the desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to give rise to aromatic and intensely perfumed wines. Some vineyards can even be planted up to 3000 meters above sea level!



The terroir here is well suited to the grape variety adopted by Argentina: the omnipresent Malbec. Originally from Bordeaux, he is today responsible for some of the most famous Argentinian wines, which are characterized by their brightness and intensity, with floral notes and dark fruit flavors. Other red varieties produced in Argentina are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. Among white wines, the emblematic grape variety of the Argentine wine region is Torrontés, which gives a wine with a floral and tropical taste. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Today, Argentinian wines are recognized throughout the world for their full-bodied reds and as high-quality wines.