Angelica Zapata Chardonnay Alta
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, grilled lobster with butter
✨ Technical Specifications
Named in honor of Angélica Zapata, the beloved matriarch of the Catena family who instilled a relentless pursuit of excellence in her children, this Chardonnay is a testament to the family's pioneering spirit in high-altitude viticulture. Sourced from the cool-climate, high-elevation vineyards of Tupungato in Mendoza, particularly the Adrianna Vineyard at nearly 1,450 meters above sea level, the grapes benefit from intense mountain sunlight and cool alpine nights. This extreme diurnal temperature variation preserves vibrant acidity while allowing the fruit to develop rich, complex flavors. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels, the wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation, resulting in a beautifully balanced profile that marries luscious tropical fruit and citrus notes with a distinct mineral backbone and a creamy, elegant finish.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.5-14%