Wine Varietals

wines

A delicious, creamy white with lemon-rind, dried-apple and pear character. Medium to full body, with energetic acidity and a polished finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 G Lot Chardonnay was produced with grapes from a plot in the Adrianna vineyard that was planted in Gualtallary in 1992 at almost 1,500 meters above sea level. This fermented in 500-liter oak barrels, 25% of them new, where it matured for one year. It has a classical nose of barrel-fermented Chardonnay, with spicy, smoky and toasty notes from the barrels combined with white fruit and flowers. The palate is sharp and austere, combining freshness and structure, creamy oak and chalky minerality. 30,000 bottles were filled in February 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGrapes from Gualtallary handled elegantly: 30% aged for 12 months in new French oak while the rest sat in used barrels. Golden yellow in the glass, the 2019 Chardonnay Luca delivers a nose of vanilla, hazelnuts, corn and ginger with juicy hints of fresh pear. Both smooth and fleshy, the freshness brings a chalkiness to the flavors underlined by the smoke in the very lengthy finish. A Californian style wine.Vinous Media | 92 VMBig and rich, with a luscious allure to the ripe apple and creamy baked pear flavors filled with concentrated spice and pastry accents. Savory hints on the firm and well-structured finish. Drink now through 2024. 800 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WSA smooth mix of melon, tropical fruit, vanilla and woody aromas open this high-elevation, mostly barrel-fermented Chardonnay that’s balanced yet a touch creamy in feel. Light oak, buttered white-bread toast and subtle white-fruit flavors are short on a plump finish. Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2020 Chardonnay El Enemigo from Gualtallary, Uco Valley was aged in oak with flor for twelve months with 15% coming from other years. Yellowish green in the glass. The nose presents notes of hazel and chestnuts accompanied by green apple and expressive whiffs of chamomile and pineapple. In the mouth, it’s taut with heightened freshness and a compact character from the flor exposing the skeletal acidity.Vinous Media | 94 VMShows Viognier-like floral notes of gardenia and honeysuckle, with an elegant yet rich body of peach and pineapple. Reveals hints of thyme and mineral on the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,600 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A consistently impressive chardonnay that highlights purity and saline minerality. Salted lemons, sliced apples, seashells and stones drizzled with a touch of oak spice. Full-bodied yet tense and lightly saline on the palate, with bright acidity and a pure, lengthy finish. Nervy and simply delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2022 Chardonnay hails from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels, with some under velo de flor, this bright green-gold wine reveals aromas of peaches and pears with a hint of cashew and a slightly oaky backdrop. Dry and lean, the palate lingers with a chalky mouthfeel. This is a modern high-altitude Chardonnay.Vinous Media | 94 WSDelicate aromas of mango and oak spices guide the senses to a smooth palate of honey, Meyer lemon and melon. A dash of chamomile elevates the close. This is a balanced Chardonnay with good acidity and texture. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Dill, limes, green ginger and crushed stones on the nose. The palate is extreme, marked by intense mineral tension, pronounced salinity and a delicious severity that sets this wine apart from even the greatest chardonnays of the world. Incredibly fresh and mouthwatering. Spectacular. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones from Gualtallary, Tupungato, opens with clear notes of huacatay, chamomile and hops. It’s reminiscent of reductive Sauvignon Blanc and layered with green apple, mint and nutty notes. Compared to previous vintages, this is leaner and more vibrant, with fine, chalky grip and medium body. Just a gorgeous wine.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2023 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Bones leads with its quintessentially lifted, vibrant bouquet of citrus rinds, dried spices, white flowers and fresh herbs, continuously developing additional complexity from its biological aging under flor. The palate combines live-wire focus with ethereal richness and a gently creamy core that runs through its mouthwatering and mineral-drenched finish. A fantastic iteration of the exotic, precise profile readers have come to expect from this pioneering Gualtallary Chardonnay reference point.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOne for the ages from an ageworthy vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones is textured, layered, and herbaceous, as all the White Bones wines are. Native thyme accents a medium-bodied, persistently fresh character of lemon crisp that’s complex and lengthy. The oak is well-integrated already, adding to the balanced structure and mouthfeel. This has 20-30 years more to go, with an ideal drinking window of 2030-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThere’s personality and energy to this white that just won’t quit. Opens with aromatically engaging notes of sage, river mint and lime zest that meld seamlessly into a core of green mango, finger lime and passion fruit. The body shows a silky richness, yet without the typical weighty lees or oak flavors, instead building intensity around tense minerality. Picks up a hint of pickled ginger on the lengthy, expressive finish. Drink now through 2040. 500 cases made, 215 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS