Why it matters
The producer
Dr. Laura Catena founded Domaine Nico as a Mendoza project devoted to high-altitude Argentine Pinot Noir. She is a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician and author, and works on the wines with Roy Urvieta. The project is separate from the Catena Zapata family winery.
Domaine Nico takes its name from Laura's daughter Nicola and honors her great-grandfather Nicola Catena, founder of Catena Zapata. The vineyards include Dijon-clone Pinot Noir parcels, and the project sources fruit from small plots for separate fermentations.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Domaine Nico's Mendoza parcels rise from 3,675 to 4,921 feet. Gualtallary Monasterio sits at 4,757 feet, while Gualtallary Alto is the project's highest parcel. Gualtallary Monasterio is planted with Dijon-clone Pinot Noir, placing the grape selection directly inside the high-elevation vineyard work.
Wines to know
The range in view
Fruit comes from small parcels and is divided into separate microvinifications. Each low-production microvinification uses indigenous yeasts, and some lots undergo whole-cluster fermentation. Whole-cluster fermentation keeps stems with the grapes and can add perfume, spice and grip.
La Savante is the named Mendoza red made from Pinot Noir. The wines age in French oak barrels before bottling, with the range built around parcel separation and individual fermentations.