On the palate, the wood maturation comes to the foreground with notes of toast, vanilla and nutmeg, supplemented with tropical fruit like pineapple, melon and ripe apple.
 
The grapes come from 'Gualtallary', a vineyard in Tupungato, Mendoza. This made Laura Catena the first to make a chardonnay from an extreme altitude, namely 1500 meters above sea level. The soil is rocky and calcareous, which provides a vibrant minerality to the taste. The fermentation takes place spontaneously, 80% in oak barrels, 20% in stainless steel tanks at very low temperatures. The wine then undergoes a malolactic conversion. This is done to soften the acids slightly and give the wine a rounder, creamier mouthfeel. The chardonnay then matures 'sur lie' for twelve months in oak barrels, 25% of which are new and the rest second-year oak.
 
What the experts say
 
James Suckling 94 points
Tim Atkin 93 points