Luca G Lot Chardonnay 2024 is the high-altitude Chardonnay from Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, a vineyard that has been demonstrating just how elegant Mendoza can be since the early 1990s. The wine is named after the G Lot vineyard, where the grapes grow at 1,500 meters above sea level in a cool, rocky landscape with high limestone content in the soil. What makes Luca G Lot Chardonnay 2024 so special? It is a powerful yet refined Chardonnay that combines ripe Argentine fruit with tension, freshness, and distinct minerality, making it almost reminiscent of a great Burgundy.
The grapes for Luca G Lot Chardonnay come from Argentina, from Mendoza, from the Uco Valley, and specifically from Gualtallary in Tupungato. The G Lot vineyard was planted in 1992 and was the first extreme-altitude Chardonnay vineyard in Mendoza, at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. The soil is rocky and highly calcareous, with dense lime sediments between the stones, which provides taut acidity and pronounced minerality in the wine. The high altitude ensures intense sun during the day and significantly cool nights, allowing the grapes to ripen fully while still retaining their freshness. Laura Catena deliberately chose this plot to create a Chardonnay that is distinctly Argentine in its expression, but leans closely toward the classic Old World in terms of structure and tension.
The grapes are harvested by hand to ensure only perfectly ripe clusters are brought to the cellar. Fermentation takes place at very low temperatures, with approximately 80% of the must fermenting in oak barrels and 20% in stainless steel tanks. A large portion of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften the acids slightly and make the mouthfeel rounder and creamier, without losing its freshness. Afterward, the wine is aged for 12 months sur lie in oak barrels, 25% of which are new and the remainder second-year oak. This aging on the lees provides extra creaminess, complexity, and a subtle touch of toast and spices. With around 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.55, and a total acidity of 5.5 g/l, the wine remains taut enough to stay elegant, while the oak aging provides a clear, luxurious signature.
Chardonnay – Gualtallary, Uco Valley
Luca G Lot Chardonnay is 100% Chardonnay from the G Lot vineyard in Gualtallary, planted in 1992 on rocky, lime-rich soils at 1,500 meters altitude, which gives the wine its combination of ripe yellow fruit, creaminess, and sizzling minerality.
Argentina
