Nose
The nose is intense and focused, with ripe pear and apple fruit aromas with notes of vanilla, citrus and flowers.
Palate
The mouthfeel offers concentrated pear and fig flavors, with strong mineral and sweet spice elements. The finish is long and lingering with bright, crisp acidity.
Growing Conditions
100% Chardonnay sourced from the sandy soil of Lot 1 in the Adrianna vineyard. The 2002 growing season was characterized by slightly above normal temperatures in March, with average temperatures reaching 18.3° C. Nights, however, were colder than normal, with average minimums down to 11.2° C. The warm sunny days ensured excellent ripeness of pear and apple flavors while the cool nights retained natural acidity and increased floral and mineral aromatic components. This vintage should be enjoyed in 3 years and will continue to improve over the following 8 years.
Argentine wine producers are rejoicing. The expressions on the faces of vineyard managers and winemakers are unmistakable. Mother Nature has chosen to smile once again on the unique high altitude wine country of Mendoza, making the 2002 harvest perhaps the best in the last 10 years.
The climatic conditions in the ever so important ripening months of January through April could not have been better. The dry, warm, and sunny weather has been constant, with only a brief interruption in the middle of February in the form of isolated thunderstorms. Fortunately, this small precipitation dried quickly and had no effect on grape quality.
The white grapes were the first to arrive, having been given the opportunity to achieve maximum ripeness. The fruit was full of intense aromatics, rich varietal fruit flavors and well balanced acidity.
Winemaking
Total Acidity: 5.92 grams/liter
Appearance
The 2002 Catena Alta Chardonnay offers a yellow – greenish color.
