Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Angelica Zapata Chardonnay 2021 – Mendoza, Argentina 🇦🇷

Overview
Crafted from 100% Chardonnay sourced primarily from high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, this wine showcases Catena Zapata’s philosophy of combining mountain freshness with Burgundian precision. Beautifully balanced and remarkably age-worthy, it demonstrates why Argentina deserves a place among the world’s finest Chardonnay producers.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon curd, white peach, ripe pear, Meyer lemon, crisp apple, and citrus blossom unfold alongside subtle notes of hazelnut, vanilla, and delicate mineral undertones. Every layer feels focused, energetic, and seamlessly integrated.

Mouthfeel
The defining feature is its remarkable equilibrium. Vibrant acidity meets a creamy, refined texture, creating a striking sense of precision, tension, and length. Rich without excess, fresh without sharpness, finishing with exceptional clarity and persistence.

Food Pairings
Butter-poached lobster, grilled halibut, roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, scallops, or aged Gruyère.

Verdict
A world-class New World Chardonnay that effortlessly balances richness, freshness, and finesse. Complex enough for the cellar yet irresistible in its youth, it rivals many top-tier Chardonnays from far more celebrated regions.

Did You Know?
The Angelica Zapata range is named after Nicolás Catena Zapata’s mother and is sourced from some of the estate’s highest-elevation vineyards, where cool mountain nights preserve acidity and allow the wines to develop remarkable aging potential.

🍷 Personal Pick
Without hesitation, this has become my favorite Chardonnay from the Southern Hemisphere. The balance between acidity, texture, precision, and tension is simply captivating. It’s one of those rare bottles that makes you want to pour another glass before you’ve finished the first. An outstanding Chardonnay that has unquestionably earned a permanent place in my cellar. — 10 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2019 | Awesome balance, wonderful scent with spicyness — 2 months ago

Bobbi Jo Broxson

9.4

Really happy birthday to me! — 2 months ago

with Brian

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Lovely bunch of coconuts. Oak glazed in balsamic. Agreeable. — 3 months ago

Rob Iracane

9.2

Lemon curd and medium mouthfeel. Nice acidity! — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2012 Rosado pours pink/salmon color with medium viscosity and no signs of sediment or particles. On the nose, the wine is developing with Maraschino cherry, dried apricot, coconut, dill, vanilla, and walnut. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium- tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Brilliant, soulful stuff. My first experience with the 2012 vintage. I hope there are many more to come. Drink now with patience (maybe even a decant) and through 2037. — 5 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.4

Touch of over the hill but still OK. Lost color. More for the geeks and aficionados - than the casual wine drinker. So this review is for you guys. — 13 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

vintage 2019 | Cinnamon and brushwood, for me surprisingly soft, beautiful — a month ago

Matthew Doty

9.1

2022 vintage. Grand reservation Malbec. Excellent day 1. Goes a bit jammy by day two — 2 months ago

Ville Pasula

9.0

Excellent with a completely outrageous chunk of bleeding super quality angus beef — 2 months ago

Jessica Knickerbocker

9.2

Quite good. Worth the $$ paid. — 3 months ago

Akshay Venkitasubramanian

9.0

Simple light red - low on minerality with good structure — 4 months ago

Irina Georgieva

9.4

Fruity and well-balanced — 5 months ago

Jackson Dealey

9.1

Beautiful soft & rich wine. Great with Italian and a little bit of spice. — 2 days ago

with Morgan

Jj Joe

9.5

What a surprise, good for korean foods and chicken too — 18 days ago

Daniel M

9.2

What a wine! The nose is so complex with blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, dark cherries, tar, oak, mushrooms, autumn damp forest soil, tobacco, cigar box... this is great. The palate is superb! Big, broad and long, with some width, some matter on the sides, some nice black and red berries all along, a touch of oak, a silky mouthfeel that rolls on the tongue, integrated tannins that caress and hug in the rear, and a very long finish with the same berries, a subtle drying layer, some oaky touches, a savoury note and eventually some bitterness that pops up in the very end. This is 16 year-old and kicking. This is grand !
I should add that I had a glass of this using my coravin a few months back and the wine wasn't showing as well as it does now. — a month ago

Austin Hohnke

9.4

Salted orange peel. Butterscotch. Toasted nuts. Amaze balls. — 3 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

4/2026. Good fruit with some spice. Full flavor that paired well with the dry aged ribeye at Halls Chophouse. — 3 months ago

Paul J

9.4

PnP. Dark red color with purple tones. Black and blue fruit on the nose with cedar and oak as well as subtle vanilla. Rustic and Bordeaux-like on the palate. Chewy wine with great depth and a long finish. Wine Spectator nailed this rec! Awesome QPR and super good. Debating between 94-95. — 5 months ago

with Brooke

Ashish Pant

9.0

Let is open/ waited 3 hours, next day was even better balance of tannins and fruit, Go For It! — 6 months ago