Catena Alta Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from the vintage release, though top vintages can develop beautifully for up to a decade.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken with herbs, pan-seared sea bass, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Catena Alta Chardonnay is a landmark white wine that redefined Argentina's potential for premium white winemaking. Born from Nicolás Catena's quest to produce a white wine that could rival the great Burgundies of the world, this cuvée is sourced from select rows in the family's high-altitude estate vineyards, primarily the Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation and the Domingo Vineyard. The extreme altitude provides intense sunlight balanced by cool mountain nights, preserving vibrant acidity and developing complex aromatic profiles. The wine is fermented using wild yeasts in French oak barrels, where it undergoes partial malolactic fermentation and extensive lees stirring to build a rich, creamy texture that perfectly balances its piercing mineral spine.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is celebrated as the pioneer that revolutionized modern Argentine winemaking and propelled Malbec onto the international stage. Located in Mendoza, the estate was transformed in the 1980s by third-generation vintner Nicolás Catena Zapata, who boldly advanced high-altitude viticulture along the Andean foothills, highlighted by the iconic Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Today, under the stewardship of Nicolás and his daughter Dr. Laura Catena, the winery unites traditional winemaking with groundbreaking soil and climate research via the Catena Institute of Wine. The estate is globally revered for its profound, terroir-driven expressions, exemplified by flagship cuvées such as Nicolás Catena Zapata, Malbec Argentino, and the acclaimed Adrianna Vineyard parcel-specific bottlings.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13-14%