Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 2–6 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled sea bass, roasted chicken with herbs, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Catena Zapata's exploration of Chardonnay is a landmark tale of pioneering spirit in South America. In the late 1980s, Nicolás Catena Zapata set out to challenge the wine world by proving that Mendoza's high-altitude terroirs could produce white wines of Burgundian elegance and complexity. Planting Chardonnay in the cool, high-altitude vineyards of Tupungato—at elevations exceeding 1,400 meters—was initially met with skepticism due to the extreme mountain chill. However, the intense alpine sunlight and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts yielded grapes with remarkable acid structure and concentrated stone fruit flavors. Fermented in French oak barrels with native yeasts, this Chardonnay beautifully marries vibrant mineral tension with a subtly creamy, textured finish, reflecting the unique stony soils of the Andean foothills.
🍾 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