ZAHA Chardonnay
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Teho is a boutique winemaking project located in Mendoza, Argentina, where the wines Zaha and Teho are produced. Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach strive to produce limited quantity wines that reflect the unique characteristics of their two small estate vineyards.
- The Los Arboles, Tunuyan, Uco Valley has soils that are deep sand and silt driven. Limestone stones in the subsoil.
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Elaboration: Grapes where pressed with whole bunch in an oxidative style. The must has been cold macerated in order to decant the heavy sediments. Afterwards the clean juice has been racked off its lees and fermented with indigenous yeast in concrete eggs. Further aging in these concrete eggs for 6 to 9 months. Continuous lees movement, battonages, is undergone, clouding the wine in order to protect it and add more texture and mouthfeel.
Tasting Notes: This Chardonnay shows a lemon color with golden hints. Expresses aromas of white flower and herbal notes accompanied by a citric profile and green apple. Fresh on the palate, with a medium body and a long finish due to a pronounce acidity and hints of minerality.
PRESS
2021 – 92+ Wine Advocate | 92 James Suckling
2020 – 92 James Suckling | 92 Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The diverse soils of Paraje Altamira include patches of sandy, rocky and silty soils dispersed throughout the vineyard. At the moment of harvest, each soil profile imparts distinct aromatic and flavors to the fruit – floral notes in the sandy patches, stony minerality in the rocky areas, and dark fruits in the silty soils. The combination of these profiles lends excellent complexity to the final wine. While rainfall is usually low, irrigation is provided by snowmelt from the Andes. Because the Uco Valley was once a riverbed, gravel in the topsoil promotes good drainage.