Elevating Tradition: The Legacy of the Catena Family
For over four generations, the Catena family has grown vines in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Mendoza. In his pursuit to make wines that stand with the best in the world, Nicolás Catena identified the best lots and rows in the Catena family’s estate vineyards.
Discovering Excellence: The Adrianna Vineyard
The Adrianna vineyard is located around 1,500m in the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region. White Bones Chardonnay comes from select rows within Block 1 of the Adrianna Vineyard.
Unearthing the Name: Significance of "White Bones"
The name refers to the soil underneath these rows, which is layered with calcareous deposits and limestone as well as fossilized animal bones - remnants of a river that used to pass through the region.
Unraveling Mysteries: Unique Characteristics
There are many theories about why the grapes coming from these rows have such distinctive floral aromatics with an earthy minerality on the nose and palate. It may be related to the minerals in the soil, or the effects that the calcareous deposits have on root penetration.
Harnessing Nature's Gifts: Extreme Altitude Viticulture
At this extreme high altitude, the nights are cold, only a few degrees above freezing even in the summer. The night-day temperature difference is between 15–20ºC. And the sunlight is more intense because of the altitude.
Crafting Perfection: Winemaking Process
The juice goes through cold settling for 10–24 hours at below 6ºC to extract the full aromatic spectrum. Fermentation takes around 45–95 days. Elevage is 12–16 months in 100% oak barrels which are second, third and fourth fill.
