2016 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay

My favorite of the Adrianna whites, the 2016 White Stones Chardonnay was cropped from a low- yielding, cool and wet year, very unusual weather in Mendoza. It's sharp, austere, mineral and long. No matter how impressed I was with the 2015 or the two vintages of the White Bones I tasted next to it, this stole the show. It has a combination of mineral notes that transmit a serious sensation with hints of flowers, spices and herbs that show in a very subtle way. The palate is liquid chalk, with sharp and pungent flavors, nicely textured. It's precise, linear, long and sharp, with great length and persistence. It will be fascinating to see how this wine evolves in bottle, because I think we can have a big surprise in ten years from now. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2017. 2018 - 2030

This is super-focused and powerful with a precision and energy. It's full yet so tightly-wound and gorgeous. It just races down the palate. Dried apple, pineapple and salt. Drink or hold. Wonderful future.

This is super-focused and powerful with a precision and energy. It's full yet so tightly-wound and gorgeous. It just races down the palate. Dried apple, pineapple and salt. Drink or hold. Wonderful future.

White Stones is always sourced from the alluvial soils of Lot 1 in an old riverbed. Peachy, ripeand textured, with subtle oak, hints of tangerine and baking spices and a zesty, limestoneedgedfinish, it's got more acidity than you think at first. One of two superb Chardonnaysfrom the Adrianna site. 2018-24

One of the flagship whites is the 2016 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones, which comes from a single block in the Adrianna Vineyard. It has a vibrant, incredibly juicy, Chablis-like style in its tart citrus, white flowers, white grapefruit, and crushed rock-laced bouquet. With medium body, nicely integrated yet high acidity, and a great finish, it's not a heavyweight and shines for its precision and purity. It should benefit from a year in bottle and keep for a decade. 2018 - 2029

Ret rig næse, gule stenfrugter og let fadtouch. Vibrerende og syrerig smag, her mindre rig og mere rank. Delikat bitterhed i eftersmagen. Fin balance.

(from vines at an altitude of about 4,800 feet, on soil rich in white stones and gravel): Bright, light greenish- yellow. The ineffable nose offers a wonderfully complex blend of white fruits, flowers and minerals. Dry, tight and light on its feet, with its pear, mineral and baking spice flavors a bit compressed in the early going. A distinctly vertical wine but also quite deep. Finishes very firm and long, with terrific salty pungency and slowly building lift. This needs more time in bottle to expand, like so many of the best wines from the 2016 vintage.