In February I was fortunate enough to join Marina Castillo, Catena Zapata’s Canadian Export Manager, for a virtual tasting of wines from their Adrianna Vineyard.
The Adrianna Vineyard was planted in 1992 by Nicolás Catena Zapata and named after his youngest daughter. The vineyard itself is located in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato Region, in Argentina’s Uco Valley. One of the things that makes this vineyard so remarkable is that at nearly 5000 feet above sea level, it has one of the coolest climates in Mendoza. In the beginning many people thought Nicolás was crazy to plant a vineyard at this elevation and they said that the grapes wouldn’t ripen.
What these nay-sayers didn’t realize was that at this altitude, bright mountain sunlight is much stronger than at sea level, allowing the tannins to fully mature. The cool climate preserves the acidity in the grapes and keeps the sugars in check, resulting in lower alcohol levels. All of these elements work together to create wines that are balanced naturally, without manipulation.
2020 White Stones Chardonnay $150-$183
The grapes for this Chardonnay are selected from 27 rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. This part of the vineyard is an old riverbed without topsoil; the earth consists of gravel and oval, white stones covered with calcium carbonate. The grape must was cold settled for 12 hours in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation took place in French oak barrels for 45-95 days. This wine underwent biological ageing along with partial malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 12-16 months in 2nd, 3rd and 4th use French oak barrels.
White Stones has a shy nose of white peach, crushed gravel, nutmeg, pineapple, butter, biscuit and almond. This is a dry wine, medium+ in body, with medium+ acidity. The palate offers white peach, saline, crushed gravel, lime pith, pineapple, buttered biscuits and an unexpected burst of red candied apple on the long finish.
Look for White Stones at Marquis Wine Cellars, North Shore Liquor, BC Liquor Stores and Jak’s Liquor Store (Granville)
2020 White Bones Chardonnay $150-$183
The grapes for this Chardonnay are taken from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard. The earth beneath these rows consists of a layer of topsoil along with calcium deposits, limestone and fossilized marine animals. The wine itself was treated exactly the same as White Stones, but the wines are completely different due to the soil content.
White Bones has aromas of lemon grass, mint, crushed gravel, butter, caramel, baked apple and sweet spice. This is a dry wine, medium + in body, with medium+ acidity. The palate offers mint, saline, lemon, bruised apple, baked Granny Smith apples and cinnamon with a long finish.
Look for White Bones at Marquis Wine Cellars, North Shore Liquor, Legacy Liquor Store and Jak’s (West Vancouver and Granville).
2019 Fortuna Terrae Malbec $155.99
Fortuna Terrae means luck of the land in Latin. The vines are grown in earth that consists of 3.5 feet of topsoil, a half foot of limestone and rocks covered with calcium carbonate. Maceration took place for 8-12 days. The wine was fermented in vertical 225 litre oak barrels and 500 litre French oak roll fermentors for 16 days. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels.
Fortuna Terrae has aromas of clay, antique leather, blackberry, black plum and liquorice. This is a dry, full bodied wine, with medium+ acidity and fine, medium+ tannins. The palate offers sponge toffee, smoked sea salt, blackberry, black cherry, prune and liquorice with a medium+ finish.
Look for Fortuna Terrae Malbec at Marquis Wine Cellars and Everything Wine (River District).
2019 River Malbec $249.99
The earth in this parcel consists of one foot of topsoil and rocks covered with calcium carbonate. The grapes underwent 50% whole cluster, cold maceration for 10-15 days. Fermentation took place in 225 litre oak barrels and 500 litre French oak roll fermentors for 17 days. The wine was aged for 20 months in French Oak barrels that were 1-2 years old.
The River Malbec has aromas of lavender, cured meat, black cherries dipped in dark chocolate, dried blackcurrant, black plum, anise and a hint of black pepper. This is a dry, full bodied wine with medium+ acidity and medium+ velvety, yet slightly grippy tannins. The palate offers blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, sweet spice, prune and cured meat with a medium+ finish.
Look for River Malbec at Marquis Wine Cellars, Everything Wine (River District) and North Shore Liquor.
2019 Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec $390
The earth in this particular parcel of land is composed of limestone and marine deposits. The limestone layer is rich in rhizobacteria, a microorganism that helps vine roots withstand stress and absorb nutrients. Hence the name Mundus Bacillus Terrae, or “elegant microbes of the earth.”
75% of this wine was fermented in concrete (50% whole cluster) while the remaining 25% was fermented in oak founders. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Only 450 cases were produced.
The Mundus Bacillus Terrae has aromas of pomegranate, plums, stewed black cherries, Dutch process cocoa, violet, prunes, raisins, anise and cedar. This is a dry wine, medium+ in body with medium+ acidity and fine, medium tannins. This wine was continuously evolving in the glass, offering flavours of pomegranate, tart blackberries and plums, dark chocolate, black cherries, prunes, raisins, liquorice and savoury black pepper with a long finish.
Look for Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec at Legacy Liquor Store.