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