Domaine Nico is the world's first extreme high-altitude parcela Pinot Noir. It is an unusual location for the New World with limestone soil of alluvial origin and cool climate and a labor of love for the Catena family.
The vineyard is named after Laura's daughter, Nicola, whose name pays homage to Nicola Catena, Laura's great-grandfather and founder of the Catena winery in 1902.
Laura has been in love with Pinot Noir since her first travels to France as a teenager. A self-avowed francophile, Laura studied French throughout university. She has a lifelong obsession with authors Sartre and Camus, as well as with the Louvre and the Centre Georges Pompidou, where she has spent countless hours.
With Domaine Nico, Laura borrows from France in the names of the wine parcels and in the concept of individual terroirs, but also plays with the words to give the wines a modern twist that’s reflective of their style.
With 3,675 to 4,921 feet of elevation, Domaine Nico is the world's first extreme high-altitude parcela Pinot Noir. Parcels are extremely small and range within the Uco Valley from Villa Bastais to Gualtallary all within the Tupungato region. With Domain Nico, the Uco Valley proves itself to be a new terroir for the highest quality Pinot Noir.
Domine Nico grapes are sources from small parcels through 15 different microvinifications. All mincrovinifications were fermented with indigenous yeasts, some with whole cluster. The wine ages in French Oak barels with low production across each.
Domaine Nico le Paradis Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The cool climate vineyard that belongs to Laura and her sister Adrianna Catena feels like paradise itself to Laura. It is lined by trees and fruit orchards, with majestic views of the Andes. Inside the 12 Hectare vineyard, there is a little house with two tiny bedrooms and a kitchen, where Laura dreams of spending a whole month reading books-Laura's version of paradise. The little house is affectionately named Chateau Laura. About the Vineyard The tiny parcel where Le Paradis is grown was planted in 2011 with Dijon 667 Clones over two acres. Wine Production The grapes from this small parcel were elaborated in 15 separate microvinifications.
All the microvinifications were fermented with indigenous yeast. 20% of the microvinifications were fermented with 100% whole clusters in oak roll-fermentor of 600L and low temp (22 Celcius degrees). 40% were fermented with 20% whole cluster in small vats of 800L and 40% fermented in small vats of 800L without sulfites until 4%V/V of alcohol.
Review:
From soils rich in calcium carbonate and sand, in a vineyard 1,600 meters above sea level, this wine comes from a selection of 2.7 hectares that produced very little fruit in 2016, just barely enough to fill 800 bottles. But watch out for this white, with its edge, its minerality, those saline notes that are so characteristic of chardonnay from the chalky Gualtallary soils. The wine was aged for a year in used barrels, and it has some of the toast, but here it’s the deep minerality that dominates.
Patricio Tapia - Descorchados 96 Points
Colored in pearlescent pale straw tones flecked with gold, our 2022 chardonnay from Russian River Valley’s cool Green Valley opens with a refreshing swirl of clover and fresh-cut alfalfa laced with spring blossoms around hints of white peach and citrus that open to crisp Fuji apple and warm baking spice. Apple notes carry through in the mouth over complex layers of crème caramel and butterscotch, all lifted with the bright energy of juicy acidity and savory oyster shell minerality. The rich, structured finish is touched with sea salt—the briny tension in elegant balance with a touch of new oak.
Green tint to the light yellow color. A very tight 2022 for this hot vintage, showing tension and focus. Medium- to full-bodied with super integrated tannins that show such length and intensity. It gives a beautiful nod to grand cru Burgundies of yesteryear. Love this. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Technically from Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, the 2022 Chardonnay Ross Station Estate is a bright yellow green hue and comes from the Hudson Vineyard, which sits on pure Goldridge soils and includes some of the later ripening Calera clones. Aged 18 months in barrel, the wine has a Grand Cru-like richness and layered depth. In the glass, it shows off a wonderful bouquet of candied apple, honeysuckle, lemon oils, and almond. The palate is rounded, with a silky texture and great acidity that propels it through the palate to its long finish with notes of almond. This is an exceptional wine to drink over the next 10-12 years. 460 cases were produced. Drink: 2024-2036.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points