Forget Malbec… Argentina Is Crushing Chardonnay Now

Catena Alta Chardonnay Mendoza Historic Rows 2023 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/catena-alta-chardonnay-mendoza-historic-rows-2023.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 Argentina changed the wine world with Malbec. Now it’s happening with Chardonnay. And Catena is leading the charge. The 2023 Catena Alta Historic Rows Chardonnay comes primarily from the legendary Adrianna Vineyard, one of the most important vineyard sites in South America and the source behind Catena’s iconic White Bones and White Stones Chardonnays. Planted at nearly 5,000 feet elevation in Mendoza back in the early 1990s, Adrianna was considered almost absurdly high-altitude at the time. But decades later, the vision looks brilliant. The combination of intense mountain sunlight, dramatic temperature swings, and rocky, shell-limestone soils creates Chardonnay with remarkable tension, texture, and precision. And now the vines are over 30 years old. That maturity matters. This wine takes the core brilliance of Adrianna Vineyard fruit and leans into a more classic Chardonnay expression. Unlike White Bones and White Stones, which emphasize purity and minerality with little or no new oak, the Catena Alta embraces traditional Chardonnay winemaking with full malolactic fermentation and about 45% new French oak. The result is stunning. Peach, pear, citrus, tropical fruit, and layered creaminess, all wrapped around a mineral backbone that keeps the wine fresh and focused. The oak is beautifully integrated, adding texture and depth without overwhelming the fruit. This is where the wine becomes fascinating. It drinks like a bridge between worlds. There’s richness and generosity reminiscent of top California Chardonnay, but also restraint, energy, and structure that clearly nod toward White Burgundy. That’s why wines like this are getting so much attention right now. Critics loved it. 95 points from James Suckling and 93 points from Vinous, confirming this as one of the top Chardonnay values in the market. And then there’s the price. Normally around $40 retail, today it’s just $29.98. For Chardonnay from one of the most important vineyard sites in Argentina, crafted by one of the most respected producers in the Southern Hemisphere, that’s an easy decision. If you love Chardonnay, this is the kind of bottle you buy by the case.