Wines and Beyond

White Wine by Catena from Argentina, South America. In an effort to produce a super premium wine, the winemaking team of Catena began in depth investigations into the yields within each of their specially selected, high altitude vineyards, identifying those lots which produce the best fruit. These vines undergo a careful thinning process, leaving only a select few clusters, resulting in remarkably complex, aromatic and flavorful fruit. Through the application of natural, gentle vinification techniques, these grapes are transformed into Catena Alta. The 2005 Catena Alta Chardonnay has a bright yellow - greenish color. The nose offers white stone fruits with a touch of banana and mango, notes of sweet spice and pan grille. The mouthfeel is full and rich, but with wonderful freshness, showing ripe pear and fig flavors with light notes of tropical fruit and delicate floral tones. The finish is long and lingering with wonderful minerality and clean, crisp acidity.

White Wine by Casa Lapostolle from Chile, South America. Brilliant golden-yellow color. Intense, elegant and clean nose, where the tropical fruits, pineapple and citrus, predominate on very nice toasty notes coming from a well integrated wood. Delicious, fleshy and nicely-structured wine in the mouth, with a well balanced acidity that keeps it alive. A good alliance of freshness and complexity.

White Wine by Alta Vista from Argentina, South America. Only 30% of this Chardonnay spends time in oak barrels, the other 70% is fermented in stainless steel tanks. Less oak influence gives this Chardonnay bright clean fruit flavors and less buttery characteristics. It is bright yellow in color with green highlights; this Premium Chardonnay is a fresh and lively wine. Aromas of tropical fruits with a delicate toasted bread note. On the palate the wine is velvety, round and full-bodied with a long, lingering finish. Enjoy this wine with fresh seafood salads, white fish with lemons & capers, roasted herbed chicken and mild cheeses.

White Wine by Cousino Macul from Chile, South America. Pale straw in color, this wine offers inviting aromas of green apple, honeysuckle, and lemon with hints of vanilla and ginger. The flavors continue the crisp apple theme along with layers of lemon drop, grapefruit, anise, and hazelnuts. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture, it strikes an elegant balance between light oak and refreshing acidity. The Antiguas Chardonnay is a highly compatible food companion, a delight with a range of appetizers and a perfect foil for richer seafood, pork, and poultry main courses. Many Chilean wineries have difficulty with Chardonnay due to problems integrating oak and fruit components. Cousino Macul seems to have mastered the production of value-priced Chardonnay. The outstanding 2006 Chardonnay Antiguas Reserva has no such problem. Featuring toasty pear, apple, and tropical fruit aromas and flavors, it has excellent depth and concentration, superior balance, and a lengthy, pure finish. It is a great value in well-made Chardonnay competing with wines twice the price. Kudos to Cousino-Macul for this significant upgrade to their portfolio. -Wine Advocate

White Wine by Valentin Bianchi from Argentina, South America. Valentin Bianchi's Chardonnay grapes come from Estate Dona Elsa and Las Paredes Estate, which is situated in the San Rafael DOC of Mendoza at 730 to 790 meters above sea level. The soil is sandy calcareous of alluvial origins. The color of this wine, a soft yellow with a faint golden hue, is immediately attractive. Aromatically, the complexity produced by the right amount of new oak, sur lies againg, malolactic fermentation and exceptional fruit is apparent. Alluring hints of vanilla, apples, and spices in the nose lead to similiar flavors on the palate, with the addition of coconut and cloves. There is a rich, silky mouth feel, with refreshing acid balance and a long, pleasant finish. This wine should be served slightly chilled, with white meats, seafood and pasta in cream sauce.

White Wine by Catena from Argentina, South America. Catena Zapata's 2006 Chardonnay was sourced from three estate vineyards and fermented with natural yeasts. It then spent 10 months sur-lie in French oak, 40% new. Light gold-colored with a slight green tint, it exhibits a nose of slate, toast, butterscotch, pear, and apple. Medium-bodied, the wine is nicely balanced by crisp acidity, and the flavors are intense and persistent. Drink this outstanding value over the next 1-2 years. When all is said and done, Catena Zapata is the Argentina winery of reference - the standard of excellence for comparing all others. The brilliant, forward-thinking Nicolas Catena remains in charge, with his daughter, Laura, playing an increasingly large role. The Catena Zapata winery is an essential destination for fans of both architecture and wine in Mendoza. It is hard to believe, given the surge in popularity of Malbec in recent years, that Catena Zapata only began exporting Malbec to the United States in 1994. -Wine Advocate

White Wine by Felipe Rutini from Argentina, South America. The grapes are sourced from the Tupungato region of Mendoza, high in the Andes Mountains, at an elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet above sea-level. With its unique microclimate, Tupungato produces fruit with exceptional fruit and structure. Aromas of minerals and fruit lead into flavors of lime, citrus and peach along with notes of honey and vanilla, all of which is balanced out nicely with toasty oak and a creamy fresh finish.

White Wine by Valentin Bianchi from Argentina, South America. Valentin Bianchi's Chardonnay grapes come from Estate Dona Elsa and Las Paredes Estate, which is situated in the San Rafael DOC of Mendoza at 730 to 790 meters above sea level. The soil is sandy calcareous of alluvial origins. The color of this wine, a soft yellow with a faint golden hue, is immediately attractive. Aromatically, the complexity produced by the right amount of new oak, sur lies againg, malolactic fermentation and exceptional fruit is apparent. Alluring hints of vanilla, apples, and spices in the nose lead to similiar flavors on the palate, with the addition of coconut and cloves. There is a rich, silky mouth feel, wih refreshing acid balance and a long, pleasant finish. This wine should be served slightly chilled, with white meats, seafood and pasta in cream sauce.

White Wine by De Martino from Chile, South America. The DeMartino family has been producing wine in Chile's famous Maipo Valley for almost 70 years. Delicate use of oak adds complexity, but the strength of DeMartino wines is in the fruit- resulting in big, rich, extracted flavors. Legado Reserva wines are made in limited production on the family estate using only the ripest hand-picked fruit. Aged in American and French oak, this Chardonnay has great volume and is well balanced with an excellent combination of fruit and oak. Pleasant and complex with a long finish.

White Wine by Alamos from Argentina, South America. Sourced from Bodega Catena Zapata's high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, the Alamos line is consistent in quality and value year after year. From the vineyard to the winery, the Alamos wines are made to emphasize varietal fruit character with the most gentle and minimal handling of the grapes. The wines have ripe forward fruit with soft, sweet tannins that make them highly approachable upon release. The 2006 Alamos Chardonnay shows a light yellow color with greenish tones. The nose is fresh and focused, with ripe tropical and citrus fruits layered with floral notes and a touch of vanilla. The mouthfeel is clean, with pineapple and mango fruits with a touch of lemon and sweet spice. The finish is bright and crisp with refreshing acidity and balance.

White Wine by Santa Rita from Chile, South America. Color Brilliant greenish yellow colour. Bouquet Intense varietal aroma with prevailing tropical fruits such as grapefruit, rounded with soft vanilla and hazelnut undertones. Taste Great volume and pleasant acidity. The ageing in American oak barrels gave it a complex structure, sweetness and lingering finish.

White Wine by Cono Sur from Chile, South America. The farming of this wine was devised specifically to make efficient use of renewable resources, protect the environment and cause minimum impact to the surrounding ecological system, in line with best Sustainable Agriculture practices. Beginning with the 2009 vintage this wine will be certified organic, having passed the required three year transition period. Bright yellow in color with some golden tints. Aromas of citrus and light mineral. Complex, with good balanced acidity on the palate. Citric and fresh. Enjoy with seafood, white meats, dried fruits, butter and cream sauces, and cheeses.

White Wine by MontGras from Chile, South America. Color: Deep straw gold Bouquet: Sweet aromas of pear and pineapple mingle with hints of vanilla Taste: Richly structured, this elegant Chardonnay is well balanced and concludes with a creamy, lingering finish. Serving suggestions: Perfect match with chicken, seafood and hard cheeses.

White Wine by Concha y Toro from Chile, South America. The Chardonnay grapes are fermented in 60 liter American oak barriques, and then matured for seven months - part in stainless steel tanks and part in the oak barriques. The result is an elegant, full bodied wine with exceptional character, that goes well with seafood, poultry, medium-sauced pastas, as well as most cheeses.

White Wine by Santa Rita from Chile, South America. Brilliant yellow-green coloured wine. Intense varietal aroma with predominantly tropical fruits like grapefruit and pineapple, rounded with soft hints of vanilla and hazelnut. A wine of great volume and pleasant acidity. Ageing in American oak has given it a complex structure, sweetness and persistence.

White Wine by MontGras from Chile, South America. Color: Deep straw gold. Bouquet: Sweet aromas of pear and pineapple mingle with hints of vanilla. Taste: Richly structured, this elegant Chardonnay is well balanced and concludes with a creamy, lingering finish. Serving suggestions: Perfect match with chicken, seafood and hard cheeses.

White Wine by Los Vascos from Chile, South America. This vintage has a brilliant and clear color with golden reflections. It has an explosive nose of melon, grapefruit and exotic fruit coupled with the typical Chardonnay note of hazelnut. In the mouth, it is rich, fresh and pleasantly fruity with good structure and a long finish.

White Wine by Concha y Toro from Chile, South America. The wine has a lemon-yellow color. It is rich and appealing with heavy pineapple fruit, toasty oak and a creamy butter texture. It is an elegant, round and mouthfilling wine balanced by crisp acidity for a long and memorable finish. Excellent with seafood, poultry, medium-sauced pastas, as well as most cheeses. Serve slightly chilled.

White Wine by Los Vascos from Chile, South America. This wine is bright with white gold highlights. The nose is very expressive with white fruit aromas (pears, bananas). In the mouth, the fruit is rich, persistent with a soft and large finish. The Chardonnay should be drunk young and can be served as an aperitif and with oysters, white meats, fish and cheeses