Catena, Alta Chardonnay 2021

This is an incredible wine. A white for red drinkers is how we've often described it, but in truth, it's a white for anyone.

Seriously good and seriously serious; this is made from old vines grown at exceptionally high altitude in only two vineyards, Adrianna at 4,575ft and Domingo at 3,675ft. Aged for 14 months in French barrels of up to three years in age, it is fermented in 500l oak barrels using natural, wild yeasts.

Balanced freshness from 30% of the wine kept back from malolactic fermentation, it is a stunning wine that has Burgundian cru-like qualities of texture, bright yellow and green fruit flavours and a delicious, subtle creaminess on the finish.

With a winemaking history that very few old world wineries possess, let alone in the new world, Catena have achieved international recognition through their pioneering winemaking and vineyard management.

With a special relationship to the study of vines at high altitude, they are able to boast a vast range of single vineyard and single site wines across at least four different grape varieties.

Their quest for the best from their land isn't a trivial or trendy fad to attract attention and critical acclaim; it really comes from a genuine belief and desire to find the latent properties that this set of terroirs can yield through the lens of each grape that is planted.