• Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick
Wine Warehouse
  • Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick

INSIDER'S PICK: 2015 BODEGA CATENA ZAPATA CHARDONNAY 'ALTA' HISTORIC ROWS (Wine Advocate 93points)

6/21/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Oak barrels are an important part of wine making, and an integral part of making great Chardonnay. But it should NOT be the primary feature of the wine, or else any distinct character of the vineyard or winemaking talent is lost. It becomes a caricature of itself and the oak looses its purpose, like a tricked out sports car with a 5ft tall spoiler that has no effect on the down force any more. When it is used RIGHT, and in proportion, the wine has the beauty and precision of an F1 race car. For almost every example of a great wine, we can't help but go to Catena Zapata ('The name Catena on the label is a guarantee of quality' states Wine Advocate writer/reviewer Luis Gutierrez). Their 'Alta' series of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec come from several high altitude vineyards the family has been developing since the early 1990s. The top bottlings from these properties are considered among the very best of their varieties in Argentina, and the Historic Rows series blend distinct aspects from these sites into a more affordable presentation.

While a modern New World style wine with an oak presence similar to a Californian Chardonnay, it in no way defines the wine. An intense golden color in the glass, the aromas when first poured are initially a mix of lemon curd and toasty oak, but quickly gain more diverse citrus and warm melon tones. There is also a surprising minerality in the aroma earned from the high altitude of the vineyards and unique soils found there; it should not come as a surprise that the two single site wines that come from the same properties as this wine are called 'White Stones' and 'White Bones', names after their soils. The palate is as rich and round as you may like, but where way too many Chardonnays stop right there this delivers so much more. Vibrant citrus cuts through the mouth coating texture so the wine shows no cloying butteriness or sweetness, at times both rich and wet, seemingly opposite sensations that happen simultaneously. A wine that can potentially age with the elegance of a fine Burgundy or be enjoyed right away, but will over-deliver either way.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Best of the Best. 

    We offering free tastings on these wines in the store every Thursday and Friday,  and a 10% discount off the retail price through the duration of the day. Come on by and give them a try!

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Beer
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Select Six
  • Collector's Cellar
  • Insider's Pick