Ahem, as Wine Advocate recently confessed, “It is difficult to avoid hyperbole when discussing the Catena family’s impact on Argentine wine.”

One of the world’s greatest white wines at an unbelievable, unbeatable price!! BTWm best anywhere…and with these scores…who cares? 98, 97, 97, 96+, 96… Scores all consistent from critics around the world all say the same thing….expressive, textural depth and length, focused, textured, beautifully judged, high-altitude expression of the variety,..” and so on!

From Catena’s ultra-rare, tiny production Parcelas Series. These are not your average Chardonnays as they consistently rank high amongst the greatest globally…we’re talking epiphany level stuff!

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.”

Keep in mind, current vintages from these legends can easily exceed the $1,000 mark.

And we slip one in beating everyone else online? A handful of bottles were allocated on a first-come basis.

We had to keep a handful for ourselves because these are all but guaranteed to disappear FAST… where were we again?

Oh yes, seize the opportunity!!

98 Points - Descohardos ”As usual, White Stones is somewhat more mature and succulent than its sibling, White Bones, but we appreciate that maturity, especially for how it contrasts with a sharp, intense acidity, very much in the style of a mountain wine: a kind of lemon zest amidst the cream. It’s a white wine with profound flavors that, in this warm year in the Uco Valley, has achieved an excellent expression. For White Stones, winemaker Alejandro Vigil selects plots from the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary, in the northern part of the Uco Valley, at an altitude of over 1,400 meters. It’s primarily a selection of soils that favor those rich in limestone-covered gravel, a typical characteristic of the area’s alluvial soils. The wine is aged for a year in barrels, some of which develop a layer of flor yeast.”

97 Points - James Suckling ”This shows characteristic aromas of green ginger, stone fruit, herbs and stony austerity. The palate is austere, almost severe, focused entirely on chalky texture and tension. Sourced from a section of vineyard with granite boulders covered in calcium carbonate. Pressed once with whole bunches, then aged in 500-liter barrels and 30% in tanks. It develops flor during aging, adding further complexity. Drink or hold.”

97 Points - Vinous ”The 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Stones from Gualtallary, Tupungato, delivers an expressive profile with notes of green apple, mountain herbs, light nuttiness, acacia and chamomile, framed by understated oak and a hint of flint. Dry, vibrant and energized by acidity, it has a chalky texture and delicate tension, leading to a long, refined finish. Drink: 2025-2038.”

96+ Points - Wine Advocate ”It is difficult to avoid hyperbole when discussing the Catena family’s impact on Argentine wine. It is the rare wine-producing country that can rightfully assign such an outsized contribution to the success of one producer that would propel the success of the wines of an entire nation. Equally remarkable is the relatively brief time scale on which such a global phenomenon has occurred, spanning just three generations from its founding in 1908. The plethora of Catena bottlings ranges from entry-level, widely distributed supermarket SKUs to site-specific gems under the Catena Zapata heading. Their relentless progress and expansion have occurred alongside a parallel endeavor to utilize science for terroir analysis, viticultural planning and winemaking practices through the Catena Wine Institute. Among others, their analysis of Gualtallary’s Adrianna Vineyard exemplifies the importance of an informed perspective on terroir, central to closing the gap between the merely good and truly great wines of the world. Catena occupies a remarkably rare position in the wine world as a producer that can be aptly described as both a juggernaut and an artisanal, intentional student of their vineyards. Winemaking director Alejandro Vigil is a bona fide celebrity winemaker—locally referred to as “The Messi of Wine”—and judging by the two hours I spent walking the Chachingo wine fair with him, the fandom I observed must be comparable to strolling a music trade show in the presence of Mick Jagger. Perhaps most impressive of all is the grace, care and unadulterated passion for wine that he relentlessly displays. As for the wines themselves, his reputation precedes him at each turn and each price point: as referential as the famed Parcelas bottlings from Adrianna Vineyard undoubtedly are, the entry-level Catena wines struck me as nearly equally impressive in their own right, each precisely summarizing their varieties and origins with equally yolked precision across the range. The 2023 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Stones showcases its classic aromatic purity and focus, centering on aromas of citrus peels, iodine and dried herbs, complemented by an elegant hint of pastry cream in the background. The palate continues this combination with a sculpted, precisely defined texture that extends into a dazzlingly focused, ethereal conclusion. Initially quite restrained, it gradually and consistently reveals textural depth and length on the finish, and I suspect it will warrant a higher score with additional time in bottle. Drink 2025-2035.”

96 Points - Tim Atkin MW ”White Stones is a comparatively small-volume Chardonnay that uses grapes from 27 rows planted on an old riverbed within the Adrianna Vineyard. Fermented and aged in older French oak, it’s a focused, textured, beautifully judged, high-altitude expression of the variety, with white flower and mountain herb aromas, subtle patisserie spices and flavours of pear, lime and lemongrass. Drink 2026-2032.”