94pts James Suckling

A light gold hue here with a creaminess to the nose and palate. Dried lemon and a hint of brioche. A rounder, medium- to full-bodied chardonnay with excellent balance and poise. Some botrytis here with around 30% malolactic fermentation.

94pts Vinous

The 2021 Chardonnay Catena Alta from Villa Bastías, Uco Valley was made with slightly botyric grapes aged for 12 months in a third new 500-liter barrels. Golden in color. The Sauterne-like aromas include ripe fruit, stewed apple and pleasant oaky notes. Sugary on the palate with freshness wrapped in a refined texture, the refined oaky flavors return at the back of the mouth.

92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2021 Catena Alta Chardonnay is a textbook expression of a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in 500-liter barrels, where the wine matured for 14 months. It has good ripeness, 13.7% alcohol and full development of aromas and flavors, waxy apples, white flowers intermixed with smoke and spice, coming through as balanced, complete and seamless, fresh and with a low pH and notable acidity.
Rating:92+

Winemaker Notes

The Catena Chardonnay combines the unique expressions of three high altitude vineyard sites. The wine shows an intense greenish color with yellow notes. The extraordinary combination of these vineyards offer honey and tropical fruit flavors while lending notes of citrus, pears, peaches, and white flowers with a strong minerality and a delicated note of vanilla. The mouthfeel is clean, with a fresh, clean acidity.

This wine would be a fantastic companion a variety of poultry dishes, dishes finished with a Nantua sauce, or to a rich seafood dish like shrimp and herb risotto.

Vineyard Notes

At almost 5,000 feet elevation in the Andean foothills, the Adrianna vineyard's calcareous soils and cool climate are the promised land of Chardonnay. The fruit from the Adrianna vineyard has a purity of flavors and a minerality that is particular to this vineyard and cannot be found anywhere else in Mendoza. The nearby, gravel-covered Domingo Vineyard makes up 20% of the blend.

Winery Notes

Catena Alta is an assemblage of historic rows within the Catena family State vineyards. The blend of these historic rows, like the combination of sounds that create a symphony, gives us highly aromatic and elegant wine that speaks for the terroir and the vines that have been tended by the four generations of the Catena Family. "Alta" means high in Spanish. This makes reference to the high altitude vineyards from where the grapes are sourced, and to the high end wines that are produced with this special grapes.

Grape Varietal: 100% Chardonnay