Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay is an extraordinary high-altitude Chardonnay that shows a completely different side of Argentine wine. Coming from just 27 rows within the legendary Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, it combines the richness and texture of Chardonnay with piercing mountain acidity and a distinctive stony, almost saline character. White peach, green apple and pear mingle with lemon zest, jasmine and white flowers, followed by mountain herbs, subtle nuttiness and flinty minerality. Fermentation and extended maturation in seasoned French oak provide texture and complexity without overwhelming the purity of the fruit. The 2023 vintage is especially compelling: naturally low yields, high acidity and modest alcohol produced a wine of remarkable tension and precision. Powerful without feeling heavy and complex without relying on obvious oak, White Stones is a serious, age-worthy Chardonnay that can comfortably sit alongside fine white Burgundy while retaining an unmistakably Andean identity.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay 2023, Producer
Few wineries have shaped the modern story of Argentine fine wine as profoundly as Catena Zapata. The family’s history in Mendoza began in 1902 when Italian immigrant Nicola Catena planted his first vineyard. Over the following generations, the estate developed from a traditional family winery into one of Argentina’s most influential producers.
The major transformation came under Nicolás Catena Zapata. Inspired by the quality revolution he witnessed in California during the 1980s, Nicolás became convinced that Argentina possessed the potential to produce wines capable of competing with the finest in the world. His search for cooler vineyard sites led increasingly higher into the foothills of the Andes.
In 1992, he planted the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary at elevations approaching 1,500 metres. At the time, this was considered an extremely risky place to grow grapes. Temperatures were considerably cooler than established Mendoza vineyard areas, and many doubted the fruit would ripen successfully.
Instead, Adrianna became the vineyard that helped redefine Argentine fine wine. Intense mountain sunlight encourages flavour development, while dramatically cooler nights slow ripening and preserve natural acidity.
Today Dr Laura Catena continues the family’s work alongside winemaker Alejandro Vigil. Through the Catena Institute of Wine, the estate has undertaken detailed research into Adrianna’s soils, climate, native vegetation and microorganisms. Individual parcels are now farmed and vinified separately, allowing tiny differences in geology to become the defining feature of wines such as White Stones, White Bones and River.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay, Terroir & Winemaking
White Stones comes from just 27 selected rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, Tupungato Alto, in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. The parcel covers approximately 2.5 hectares and sits at an extraordinary 1,450 metres above sea level.
The name White Stones is quite literal. This section of Adrianna occupies an ancient alluvial riverbed where the surface is dominated by gravel and smooth oval white stones. The soil is extremely poor in organic matter and exceptionally free-draining.
These conditions naturally restrict the vines, encouraging low yields and concentrated fruit. The rocky profile also prevents particularly deep root growth, while the extreme elevation produces a large difference between daytime and night-time temperatures.
Warm, intense sunlight allows Chardonnay to develop flavour during the day, but very cool nights slow the ripening process and help retain exceptionally high natural acidity. It is this combination that gives White Stones its unusual balance of concentration and tension.
White Stones is made from 100% Chardonnay. After harvesting, the juice undergoes cold settling for approximately 10–24 hours in stainless-steel tanks at 6°C.
Fermentation takes place in French-oak barrels at around 16°C and is unusually slow, lasting approximately 45–95 days. Catena also describes the wine as undergoing biological ageing before maturation for 12–16 months in second-, third- and fourth-use French-oak barrels.
The decision to use seasoned rather than heavily toasted new oak is important. It gives Chardonnay texture and allows slow development without dominating the vineyard’s citrus, floral and mineral character. The finished wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay 2023, Vintage
The 2023 season was particularly interesting. Spring frosts substantially reduced yields across Mendoza, although the high, sloping Adrianna Vineyard escaped most of the damage. The remainder of the season was very dry and slightly warmer than average, with low yields accelerating ripening and bringing harvest two to four weeks earlier than usual.
Catena describes the resulting 2023 wines as particularly elegant and age-worthy, characterised by high natural acidity, lower alcohol, pronounced minerality and strong textural definition.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay 2023, Tasting Notes
Pale golden yellow with a subtle green hue. Initially quite restrained, the nose gradually opens to reveal lemon zest, green apple, white peach and Asian pear, followed by jasmine, acacia and chamomile.
There is a wonderfully savoury layer underneath the fruit, with mountain herbs, ginger, subtle nuttiness and a delicate flinty character. The oak remains firmly in the background, adding texture rather than obvious vanilla or toast.
On the palate, the 2023 is dry, energetic and beautifully precise. Chardonnay’s natural breadth is immediately balanced by exceptionally vivid acidity, giving the wine a tense, almost linear shape.
White peach, pear and citrus are accompanied by chalk, crushed stone and subtle herbal flavours. A gentle creamy quality through the middle of the palate gives richness, but the wine quickly tightens again into a distinctly mineral finish.
The texture is perhaps the most impressive feature: concentrated and almost creamy at first, then increasingly chalky and energetic as the wine moves across the palate. The finish is exceptionally long, leaving citrus peel, herbs, white flowers and crushed stone lingering behind.
Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay 2023, Awards
James Suckling – 97 points
The Wine Advocate – 96+ points
Tim Atkin – 96 point
Food pairing suggestion:Pan-Roasted Sea Bass with Cauliflower Purée, Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Lemon
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