2020 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay

For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza, Argentina. Laura Catena, great-granddaughter of winery founder Nicola Catena, is currently at the helm.

Brilliant straw colour with a subtle tinge of green around the edges and a watery hue. Elevated pear and nectarine aromas are interwoven with hints of roasted almonds, honeysuckle, wet stone and gun flint. Relatively light and fresh yet intense across the palate with a beautifully shaped, Chablis like feel, delicious pear and citrus fruits are featured over a back drop of lime, distinct wet stone, delicate cashew, chalky mineral like elements and salted almonds. Understated in its length and power it finishes dry and possesses energetic like acidity. The exceptionally long and refined conclusion threaded with saline and almond characters.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 12.5%

Other Reviews….
The 2020 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Uco Valley, was barrel-aged for 16 months. Greenish-yellow in the glass. The intense, layered nose presents bold aromas of green apple, pear, hints of linden blossom and ginger with touches of lemon and herbs. In the mouth, it’s concentrated, rooted in a lively, heightened freshness while maintaining the variety’s expansive flow, which also delivers salinity and long-lasting flavor. A thrilling white that defines this nook of the Uco Valley. Drink 2022-2030.
97 points
Joaquín Hidalgo – Vinous

Lemon zest, pineapple, white pepper, cloves, jasmine, crushed stones and chalk on the nose. Medium-bodied, focused and phenolic. Very fine, mineral and tight with persistent energy and vivid acidity. Creamy, with salted-almond notes at the end. Drink from 2023.
97 points
JamesSuckling.com

I had the opportunity to taste two vintages (2020 and 2021) of the top whites side by side and could see the differences of the two years quite clearly, as the wines express the natural conditions of the year quite faithfully. The 2020 White Stones Chardonnay is riper than the other three wines; it's a very good wine, but it shows the warmer year with a rounder mouthfeel, faintly creamy, still a little closed in the nose, which slowly reveals yellow fruit and some spice. The palate is quite gentle, with 13% alcohol and very good balance. Drink 2023-2029.
96 points
Luis Gutiérrez – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate