Catena Zapata - Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay 2019

Tim Atkin

Patricio Tapia - Descorchados

The Adrianna Vineyard is located at an altitude of more than 1,400 meters at the foot of the Lomas del Jaboncillo, in an area of Gualtallary that is today known as Monasterio. It's an area that produces some of Argentina's most character-filled malbecs along with some of its most impressive whites—and Descorchados has considered this to be one of them for years. This comes from a selection of rows from Adrianna's Lot 1, from vineyards planted on limestone-rich soils in the mid-1990s. That detail, along with the mountain climate and a cool season, turn this wine into an expressive quince juice on the nose, with firm acidity on the palate and the classic texture of those limestone-driven wines, that chalky sensation on the tongue. It's expressive and especially exuberant this year, marked by refreshing fruits and herbs followed by the intense minerality of one of South America’s great whites at one of its best moments.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The very minty 2019 White Bones Chardonnay comes from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. The name refers to the soil underneath these rows, which is layered with calcareous deposits and limestone as well as fossilized animal bones—remnants of a river that used to pass through the region, closer to Los Cerrillos del Jaboncillo; it's an old soil in a new formation. 2019 is a cool vintage, and the wine is only 12.6% alcohol and has notable acidity (8.1 grams), and it always has a more extroverted personality than the more austere White Stones. It has tons of aromatic herbs, thyme, lavender, lemongrass, rockrose and balsamic with some curry (the wine had some aging under flor), and it has a vibrant palate where the acidity is effervescent and lively and the finish salty. It's vibrant and sharp, more in the style of a Chablis. Truly outstanding. This is a very recognizable wine. 6,000 bottles were filled in May 2020.

James Suckling

Honeysuckle, ripe pear and some dried apple. So perfumed. Full-bodied with incredible intensity and length. So much green-apple character and lots of flowers. Dried mango, too. The touch of flor growth in the barrel gives this unique character. Goes on for minutes on the finish. Endless, vibrant acidity. Minerally texture. Drink now or hold.