Laura Catena's Mendoza project for high-altitude Pinot Noir from small parcels, with La Savante as its named red.
The producer
Domaine Nico is Dr. Laura Catena's Mendoza Pinot Noir project, built from small parcels at extreme elevations. Laura works with winemaker Roy Urvieta. The named wine is La Savante, a red made from Pinot Noir and aged in French oak before bottling. The project is separate from the Catena Zapata family winery. Its name honors Laura's daughter Nicola and her great-grandfather Nicola Catena.
Known for
High-altitude Mendoza Pinot Noir
Notable facts
Dr. Laura Catena founded Domaine Nico and works with winemaker Roy Urvieta.
Gualtallary Alto is a 1.1-hectare vineyard at the project's highest elevation.
Domaine Nico produces fifteen separate microvinifications from fruit sourced from small parcels.
Domaine Nico is a separate venture from the Catena Zapata family winery.
The story
Dijon Clones Reach Mendoza
In the early 1990s, Laura Catena and her father, Nicolás Catena, fell in love with Burgundian wine. They brought Dijon Pinot Noir clones to Mendoza. Domaine Nico's parcels are planted with that material, including Gualtallary Monasterio. The move placed a Burgundy-linked vine selection inside an Argentine high-altitude project. Domaine Nico now works from small parcels and separate microvinifications, with Pinot Noir as the central grape.
From the atlas
Domaine Nico
Laura Catena's Mendoza project for high-altitude Argentine Pinot Noir, made from small parcels and separate microvinifications.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Producer
Domaine Nico
Region
Mendoza, Argentina
Main grape
Pinot Noir
Named wine
La Savante
Defining feature
High-altitude parcels and separate microvinifications
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
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.
Story
Laura Catena describes about 15 years of experimentation with the young Pinot Noir vines. They were too productive at first. After about 15 years, Pinot Noir quality increased dramatically as the vines matured.
Wines
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.
In The Glass
La Savante brings mineral-red fruit, red fruit, slight reduction, citrus, orange peel and earth, followed by thyme, rosemary and clove-like sweet spice. The palate has high acidity and low alcohol, with integrated oak and layered tannins.
A Bottle To Understand It
Open La Savante first. The 2023 vintage is a red Mendoza wine made entirely from Pinot Noir. Its label names the project, the cuvée and the vintage, and the wine contains no other grape variety.
Final Word
Domaine Nico joins Laura Catena's Argentine family history to Dijon-clone Pinot Noir grown in high-altitude Mendoza parcels. La Savante places that grape and place in a single named red.