Alta Chardonnay
This Chardonnay comes from the "Luca" vineyard at an altitude of 1200 metres. It is 100% barrel-aged and spends twelve months in new French barrels. It has a deep golden yellow colour with some green nuances. The nose is complex, with aromas of apple, pear and peach with hints of vanilla, honey and wood spices. It is round, full on the palate and opens with great concentration and a toasty vanilla finish.
The region:
At the foot of the eternally snow-covered peaks of the Andes lies Argentina's largest vineyard (145,000 ha or 70% of Argentina's vineyards). Being recognized as the best wine region in Argentina, most of the big estates are located here. This region gathers a total of 1221 estates that produce 10 million hectolitres per year. No wonder then that Mendoza is truly the epicentre of the Argentine wine sector.
The estate:
Bodega Catena Zapata was founded in 1902 following the immigration of the Catena family, of Italian origin, to the region of Lujan de Cuyo, a few kilometres from Mendoza.
This province is considered the most favourable for vine growing. Nicolas Catena owns several vineyards planted at high altitudes in the foothills of the Andes.
There is the "Tikal" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 950 m, with 105 hectares, the "Angelica" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 860 m, with 79 hectares, and the "Luca" vineyard, planted at an altitude of 1130 m, with 35 hectares. It was under the impetus of the younger brother, Jorge Catena, a graduate of the University of California at Davis, and under the tutelage of Nicolas Catena, that the vineyards and winemaking techniques were modernised. Drawing on his Californian experience, he set up a research programme to locate the best microclimates and terroirs for planting French, Italian and Californian grape varieties. The winemaking has been directed by José Galante since 1975. José's experience goes back to the Simi estate in California and a long stay in the Bordeaux region, Burgundy and Chablis. The director of viticulture has been Pedro Marchevsky since 1972. The estate markets its wines under three labels: Catena Alta, Catena and Alamos.
And to finish More Information
The Estate Catena Zapata
Established at the foot of the Andes since 1902, Nicolas Catena 's Bodega Catena Zapata perpetuates the tradition of great Argentine wines in the Mendoza region, aided by the best quality terroir in the country.
Three separate vineyards are spread over 200 hectares, cultivated at an average altitude of 1000 metres. The king grape variety here is Malbec, but Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and other local varieties such as Torrontes also do well
In the 1970s, Jorge Catena gave a new impetus to the wines of Catena Zapata by modernising the production tools and, above all, by matching the grape varieties with the different types of soil in order to reveal the identity of the terroir as finely as possible. Since 1975, José Galante, with his long experience, particularly in France, has been in charge of the vinification of the wines of the most famous Argentinean Bodega, often honoured by the greatest tasters such as Robert Parker.
Catena Zapata wines can be presented in 3 distinct ranges:
- - Alamos: for fruity wines, all in greediness, faithful representatives of the grape variety incarnate
- - Catena Zapata or Alta: for wines that faithfully represent all the identity and qualities of the Bodega's terroirs in concentrated, expressive, complex wines. These wines are made from a selection of the best plots on the estate and only produced in the best vintages for the Alta range
- - Top of the range wines Nicolas, Argentino...: highlighting the magic of the great Argentinean wine...
Come and discover now what Argentina knows how to do best. You can enjoy all these wines with red meats, especially with lamb for a 100% pleasure tasting. Enjoy and taste these wines in moderation.
The Estate Catena Zapata
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