I am constantly amazed by how good the Chardonnay produced by Nicolas Catena in Argentina is. Faithful followers may be aware of a certain lack of enthusiasm on my part for wines labelled Chardonnay (the odd Chablis Grand Cru and Montrachet I can stomach). But even Argento Chardonnay at the Catena price point below this works well (better than the Malbec, supposedly Argentina's great gift to the wine world). And this Alamos bottling one notch up is a stunning bargain.
I would love to see it blind in a line-up of middle-brow Californian Chardonnays currently retailing at $30-40 a bottle and bet it would not disgrace itself, even though it is selling at less than a quarter of the price. I say Californian because the style is very obviously modelled on better quality Californian Chardonnay. It is open, a little bit sweet (purists avoid), extremely friendly and absolutely ready for gulping now. But it's far, far better than the average varietal Chardonnay. There is some concentration, a little bit of lees-stirred character and real guts and flavour to it. I don't imagine it will be looking as good at the end of the year. Drink it straight away. And only if you are a fan of the exuberant Californian style of Chardonnay.
California is a particularly apt reference for Catena because Nicolas Catena was originally inspired by Robert Mondavi to devote himself to developing a Mondavi-like wine operation in Argentina (though at the moment he may not be as flattered by the comparison). Californian winemaker Paul Hobbs was the original winemaker and style-setter. Altitude presumably plays a part in keeping the grapes as lively at this at Mendoza's latitudes.
In the UK this wine retails at £5.99 at Majestic, Oddbins and Bibendum Fine Wine. It is widely available in the US from under $8 a bottle – quite a bargain.
