We love, love, love the wines of Catena here! So much so that Dr. Laura Catena was our guest recently at our most popular online tasting to date. The wines we feature again and again from them are our #1 most admired from the Southern hemisphere and up there in our rankings around the world even!

This special relationship comes with its perks. Here they are. Access, at unbelievable, unbeatable prices, to their ultra-rare, tiny production Parcelas Series. These are not your average Chardonnays as they consistently are regarded as some of the best globally.

In fact, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has often compared them to the top wines of Burgundy’s most heralded Domaines, calling White Stones “more in the style of Roulot than Coche-Dury” and White Bones “a hypothetical blend of a Chablis from Raveneau and a Chassagne from Ramonet.”

Mind you, current vintages from these legends can easily exceed the $1,000 mark.

And we can bring you here these monstrously rated gems way under $100? Just unheard of. A handful of bottles allocated, first come, first …just a second… sorry, went to sweep a couple under our carpet, where were we again? Oh yes, first served. Like we did, do make sure you get some of both to compare side by side, there is no tasting quite like it.

98 Points – James Suckling

“Aromas of cooked pears, apples, lemons and crushed stones. Salty, too. Full and deep with a solid core of fruit and a bright and citric finish. Very minerally and bright. Starts off slowly and then takes off. Drink or hold.”

97 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“I tasted two vintages of the top whites, 2017 and 2018, and the wines perfectly show the conditions of each of the vintages, which were very different. Harvested very early to compensate the low yields and the warm end of the ripening season, the 2017 White Stones Chardonnay is a tad riper than the 2018, but it’s a lot subtler and less ripe than I’d have expected from a warm year like 2017, like this part of the Adrianna vineyard is able to cushion the effect of the temperatures. The palate combines great intensity and pungent minerality, which is a texture and mouthfeel rather than a flavor. This has a contained 12.9% alcohol and very good freshness. Drink 2019-2027.”

96 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“Bright light yellow. Penetrating, multifaceted aromas of lime zest, stone fruits, spring flowers, spearmint and baking spices, plus an element of leesy complexity. Wonderfully concentrated, intense and dry, with its white peach, menthol and mineral flavors conveying a powerful tactile impression of extract. This urgent Chardonnay boasts lovely creamy richness but with its bracing, Riesling-like acidity (7.9 grams per liter!) and powerful minerality, it’s like chewing on a rock today. This remarkably complex, ageworthy Chardonnay was made from three separate picks over a period of two weeks, according to winemaking director Vigil. (12.9% alcohol) Drink 2020-2027.”