Bodega Catena Zapata White Stones Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay 2021

Aaron Tan

I joined this white wine blind tasting session for a taste of the illustrious Chard duo from Catena Zapeta, despite knowing full well that white wine condition in my area has a pretty lacklustre record; and I’m pretty glad I did. The White Stones, thankfully, was [mostly] singing. Yes, there was a touch of honey and musk in the back end, but I felt it didn’t distract from the general message. Perhaps the reticent winemaking style here helped give it a little more resilience against the arduous travel. On the nose, there was nearly no fruit at the start - just sulphurous, flinty aromas. It does eventually yield to heavy swirling in the glass, revealing some pear and nutty notes. The palate was textural, sharp, and mineral. In fact the name could not be more apt. It was like licking stones, all covered in salt, lime juice and chopped sage. I really enjoyed it, but the wine that could have been still lingered on the back of my mind. One to revisit for sure.