Agrelo Saint Felicien Semillon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed within 2–8 years of vintage release, though well-stored bottles can develop complex honeyed and nutty notes over a decade.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted pork loin, grilled white fish, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Saint Felicien range by Catena Zapata holds a legendary place in Argentine wine history, famously debuting in 1963 as the country's first varietally labeled wine, adorned with elegant labels designed by renowned local artists. This Semillon pays tribute to that pioneering spirit, sourced from the historic, cool-climate clay soils of Agrelo in Luján de Cuyo. Historically, Semillon was one of Argentina's most widely planted white varieties, and Catena Zapata preserves this heritage by crafting a wine of striking texture and complexity. Fermented and partially aged in oak, it captures the classic, slightly waxy character of the grape, balancing vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes with subtle hints of honey, chamomile, and toasted nuts.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is the preeminent pioneer of modern Argentine viticulture. In the 1980s and 1990s, third-generation visionary Nicolás Catena Zapata revolutionized the domestic industry by venturing into extreme high-altitude Andean terroirs, most notably planting the famed Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary at nearly 1,500 meters above sea level. Today directed by Dr. Laura Catena and celebrated winemaking director Alejandro Vigil, the estate pairs rigorous micro-terroir research through the Catena Institute of Wine with precision viticulture across alluvial, limestone-laced gravel soils. Fermentations frequently incorporate whole clusters and indigenous yeasts, vinified in concrete, oak foudres, and French barriques to preserve freshness, structural nuance, and site-specific tension. Benchmark bottlings such as the flagship Nicolás Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec, and Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay stand as global archetypes of high-elevation South American fine wine.
🍇 Grapes
Semillon
🍷 ABV
13-13.5%