Return
The Catenas export wine under several labels, including Catena Alta, Catena and Alamos Ridge, although the Alta wines are their particular pride. Their grapes come from some of the highest-altitude vineyards in the world--they can be more than 3,000 feet above sea level.
1997 Catena Alta Chardonnay Luca Vineyard ($45) Deep gold in color with notes of lemon and lots of New World French oak flavors. Rich and well-balanced, this is a pretty wine that also happens to be just plain tasty.
1996 Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon Tikal Vineyard ($45) This rather tannic wine is lush, though more in its style (an interesting intersection of Old and New World) than in its fruit.
1996 Catena Alta Malbec Lunlunta Vineyard ($50) A simply massive wine: it not only looks dark (nearly purple), it smells dark. It is, however, much more approachable than its powerful bouquet would suggest, with fine, soft tannins. A remarkable wine.
--Lettie Teague
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Get F&W Mobile Apps
