Catena Alamos Torrontes 2007 Review & Tasting Notes Featured Hot

Color & Clarity
The brilliant yellow color of the 2007 Catena Alamos Torrontes is reminiscent first and foremost of pineapple, a promise of the tropical fruit aromas and flavors to come.

Nose
The bouquet of the 2007 Catena Alamos Torrontes is positive, powerful, and very pleasant. It is flowery overall, with honeysuckle and jasmine being the most identifiable elements, but there are also elements of melons, tropical fruit, and pineapple.

Palate
Because it's marked acidity, the 2007 Catena Alamos Torrontes is a wine that's better to pair with the right food than it is to just sip alone; fortunately, when paired with the right foods it really shines. Light-bodied with a fairly short-to-medium length, the flavors consist primarily of tropic fruits and melon.

The 2007 Catena Alamos Torrontes is extremely temperature sensitive -- more so than what I've seen in any other wine (except other Torrontes). Refrigerator temperature is of course too cold, but the difference between the flavors and aromas a few minutes out of the fridge and 10-15 minutes out when it reaches its best is astounding. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for the wine to go downhill again, with the harsh acid and alcohol starting to overwhelm the fruit and flowers of the wine.

Food Pairing
The 2007 Catena Alamos Torrontes pairs very well with a variety of foods because it is able to hold its own with very strong, flavorful dishes, meats, and cheeses. It may in fact not do as well with milder dishes as a result. You should seriously consider this white wine in situations where you might otherwise pair a stronger red wine with your food.

Pairing Catena Alamos Torrontes with Cheeses

• Cheddar Cheese: Wine acquires a little extra bitterness just around the edges when mixed with cheddar
• Swiss Cheese: The Catena Alamos Torrontes becomes stronger and more aromatic with swiss
• Aged Gouda: Although the wine becomes a bit drier, the gouda itself becomes a bit sweeter
• Aged Parmesan: The Torrontes becomes sweeter and more fruity
• Chevre: The Torrontes became less sweet but also more aromatic with chevre and would probably be similar with other cheeses made from goat's milk

Pairing Catena Alamos Torrontes with Meats

• Chorizo Salami: The Catena Alamos Torrontes more acidic and much more aromatic when paired with chorizo, but the flavor of both is significantly extended.

Pairing Catena Alamos Torrontes with Main Dishes

• Shrimp Scampi: The Catena Alamos Torrontes is an excellent pairing for shrimp scampi, not just standing up to the strong flavors but also managing to offer a nice counter-point by retaining its sweetness.
• Barbecued Pork: This is a neutral but reasonably decent pairing with the Catena Alamos Torrontes.
• Pasta with Vodka-Cream sauce: The Catena Alamos Torrontes is only fair when paired with such a mildly flavorful tomato-based sauce.

Recipes
I would hesitate to add the Catena Alamos Torrontes to any dishes when cooking because the flavors and aromas, while pronounced in the wine, are delicate enough that they would probably cook off too easily.

Bodega Catena Zapata Winery
The father-daughter team of Nicolás and Laura Catena have managed the Bodega Catena Zapata winery for more than two decades. Their focus is on "microclimates" in the high-altitude Mendoza district of Argentina, famous for it's wine production. Vineyards worked by the Catena family might only be a few kilometers apart, but they are used to produce very different wines because of great variations in soil, temperature, and humidity.

Alamos Torrontes
Although many Catena wines are produced in the Mendoza district of Argentina, their Torrontes is actually produced in vineyards near the city of Cafayate, located in the Salta district. All wines produced under the Alamos label are done in relatively small batches of hand-harvested grapes.