Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay, Mendoza 2017

Aromas of cooked pears, apples, lemons and crushed stones. Salty, too. Full and deep with a solid core of fruit and a bright and citric finish. Very minerally and bright. Starts off slowly and then takes off. Drink or hold.

I tasted two vintages of the top whites, 2017 and 2018, and the wines perfectly show the conditions of each of the vintages, which were very different. Harvested very early to compensate the low yields and the warm end of the ripening season, the 2017 White Stones Chardonnay is a tad riper than the 2018, but it's a lot subtler and less ripe than I'd have expected from a warm year like 2017, like this part of the Adrianna vineyard is able to cushion the effect of the temperatures. The palate combines great intensity and pungent minerality, which is a texture and mouthfeel rather than a flavor. This has a contained 12.9% alcohol and very good freshness. 6,600 bottles were filled in July 2018.