Once upon a time, there was a crazy man in Argentina who believed that his country could make world-class wines: Nicolas Catena. In the early 1990s (I cannot recall the exact year), Catena introduced his Chardonnay to select wine accounts. The wine accounts had to be “select” because the audacious Argentine priced his Chardonnay to sell for—GASP!—almost $15!  Well, upon tasting this upstart Argentinean wine, my peers and I agreed that this easily rivaled fine $20 Chardonnays! I immediately embraced the Catena wines. Customers, however, tended to be more skeptical—until I pestered them enough to try it. Catena gradually became one of our most beloved and popular Chardonnays. Today, Nicolas Catena is a world-renowned figure in the wine trade.

Almost two decades later, Catena Chardonnay remains my favorite new world Chardonnay to recommend in its price range (which has barely changed in that time). And, yes, it still beats many a $20 Chardonnay!