Adrianna Vineyards is a separate line of wines produced by Catena Zapata in Mendoza, Argentina. The Andes stretch up to the highest peak, Aconcagua, at almost 7,000 meters. The vineyard is located a good way up the mountain slope, at an altitude of almost 1,500 meters. BKWine Magazine’s reporter Anders Åhlén met Adrianna Zapata some time ago and tasted some of the wines from this prestigious collection and also some other wines from Catena Zapata’s range.
No, Adrianna was not named after the vineyard. It was the opposite. The vineyard is named after her, one of the Catena sisters. She was visiting Stockholm on a sunny autumn day. And we were lucky enough to meet her and enjoy many fantastic wines from Zapata’s portfolio. But first a little history.
In 1898, Nicola Catena migrated from Italy to Argentina. He bought land next to the city of Mendoza, in the shadow of the Andes mountain range and four years later he planted his first Malbec vineyard. Sure of his cause, he planted grapes here at a previously unheard of height. People thought him crazy and said he would fail. But Nicola proved them wrong and produced great wines, a heritage his descendants have managed well. The vineyards in question today were planted in the 90s, and are planted with ungrafted roots.
The first vintage of Catena Zapata, a blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon, won a series of blind tastings against other prestigious wines around the world and raised the world’s view of the standard of South American wines. That made Argentina a wine country to be reckoned with.
For me, the two white wines from Adrianna Vineyard are absolutely incredible wines, and despite their somewhat high price, absolutely worth it. These are exceptional white wines that stand out with their unique characters, elegance, complexity and gracefulness.
White wines
Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay 2021
Price ~100 euro (price estimate based on Swedish retail prices)
Grapes: Chardonnay 100%
On the nose: Elegance. A hint of barrel. Minerality. Absolutely wonderful, a truly fragrant wine.
In the mouth it shows elegance paired with fine acidity and minerality.
An absolutely wonderful balance and fantastic grace.
Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay 2021
Price ~100 euro
Grapes: Chardonnay 100%
Nose: hugely herbal, with mint. Elegance. Minerality here too.
On the palate, a lot of the characters of White Stones returns, but paired with a nice herbal character.
Catena Alta Chardonnay 2022
Price ~30 euro
Grapes: Chardonnay 100%
Incredibly good quality for this price, you get a lot of wine for the money.
Not the same elegance and complexity as in the wines from Adrianna, but incredibly well-made and delicious.
Barrel notes, fatness and minerality in the aroma.
In the mouth, barrel, generous with fruit. Very affordable.
(This is not from Adrianna Vineyard itself.)
Red wines
Catena Alta Malbec 2020, Adrianna Vineyard
Price ~40 euro
Grapes: Malbec 100%
Nose: Dark red berries, blackberries. Meaty. A spicy note.
On the palate, dark red berries, with a distinct acidity.
Promises well for ageing.
(This is not from Adrianna Vineyard itself.)
Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2021
Price ~85 euro
Grapes: Malbec 100%
On the nose, also here I find dark red berries, and meaty notes. But so much more complexity, elegance.
On the palate, the wine is big. Fantastic elegance, really cool.
Still young but incredibly promising, and very delicious already.
(This is not from Adrianna Vineyard itself.)
Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae Malbec 2020
Price ~100 euro
On the nose: barrel, elegance, dark red berries. In one word: gorgeous.
On the palate, also elegance, barrel and dark red berries.
Right now somewhat closed, but promises well for storage.
Adrianna Vineyard River Malbec 2020
Price ~155 euro
Similar profile to Fortuna, but here the wine grows considerably. Remains forever. So elegant. Nice herbal note on the nose.
This is a wine that you simply cannot spit. Absolutely lovely! Malbec at its best, world class.
“Give them 20-25 years in the cellar,” says Adrianna about Fortuna and River.
Read more on Catena Zapata in this article on BKWine Magazine: An illustration of the importance of altitude for a wine by Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina.
Travel
Today, the wines of Argentina are world-class and the landscape, with the Andes as a back-drop, is stunning. You can get to know the wines and the gastronomy in Mendoza from the inside on a wine tour with BKWine.
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