2023 Catena Zapata Adrianna White Bones Chardonnay, Mendoza

Dill, limes, green ginger and crushed stones on the nose. The palate is extreme, marked by intense mineral tension, pronounced salinity and a delicious severity that sets this wine apart from even the greatest chardonnays of the world. Incredibly fresh and mouthwatering. Spectacular. Drink or hold.

99 points jamessuckling.com

The 2023 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Bones leads with its quintessentially lifted, vibrant bouquet of citrus rinds, dried spices, white flowers and fresh herbs, continuously developing additional complexity from its biological aging under flor. The palate combines live-wire focus with ethereal richness and a gently creamy core that runs through its mouthwatering and mineral-drenched finish. A fantastic iteration of the exotic, precise profile readers have come to expect from this pioneering Gualtallary Chardonnay reference point.

97 points Matthew Luczy robertparker.com

One for the ages from an ageworthy vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones is textured, layered, and herbaceous, as all the White Bones wines are. Native thyme accents a medium-bodied, persistently fresh character of lemon crisp that’s complex and lengthy. The oak is well-integrated already, adding to the balanced structure and mouthfeel. This has 20-30 years more to go, with an ideal drinking window of 2030-2040.

97 points jebduunuck.com

High in the Andes at the remarkable Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary lies one of Argentina’s most extraordinary Chardonnay sites. Catena Zapata pioneered high altitude viticulture in Mendoza, with Nicolás Catena recognising that vineyards planted over 1,400 metres above sea level could produce wines of exceptional freshness and complexity. Today the project is led by Dr Laura Catena together with chief winemaker Alejandro Vigil. White Bones Chardonnay comes from a tiny parcel of the Adrianna Vineyard where the soil is scattered with fossilised limestone deposits and ancient calcium carbonate streaks that resemble white bones in the earth.

Pale straw with brilliant clarity, the aromatics are intense and finely detailed. Lemon zest, white peach and green apple rise from the glass alongside jasmine, crushed stone and delicate herbal notes. A distinctive chalky mineral character immediately reflects the calcareous soils of the vineyard.

The wine is striking for its precision and tension. Vibrant citrus and orchard fruit flow through the wine supported by bright natural acidity and a powerful mineral backbone. Subtle notes of almond, lemon curd and gentle oak add texture while maintaining purity. The finish is long, saline and incredibly focused, leaving lingering impressions of citrus and wet stone.

Oysters, sashimi, grilled scallops or lobster highlight the wine’s freshness and mineral detail. With its remarkable structure and acidity, Adrianna White Bones Chardonnay will evolve beautifully for fifteen to twenty years, developing greater complexity while retaining its precision.