2020 Domaine Nico "Histoire d'A" Pinot Noir, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina

ABOUT THIS WINE

Histoire d’A (“The Story of A”) is the flagship Pinot Noir from Domaine Nico—a project that honors Laura Catena’s great-grandmother, Angélica Zapata, a pioneer in Argentine viticulture. This cuvée comes from some of the highest-elevation Pinot Noir vineyards in the world, located between 1,150 and 1,450 meters above sea level in the Gualtallary and San Pablo subzones of the Uco Valley. These cool-climate sites, planted on calcareous and alluvial soils, yield Pinot of structure, precision, and vibrancy.

The 2020 vintage was marked by warm, dry conditions, balanced by cool nighttime temperatures at altitude. Grapes were hand-harvested in small lots, sorted meticulously, and fermented with native yeasts in small tanks. Gentle punch-downs preserved aromatic lift and finesse. The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak barrels (around 20% new), then bottled without fining.

Histoire d’A is the most ethereal and complex expression in the Domaine Nico range. The 2020 shows vivid red fruit—raspberry, cherry, cranberry—layered with savory herbal notes, crushed rock, and delicate oak spice. There’s a subtle grip from fine tannins, and a linear, mineral-driven finish that mirrors the altitude and limestone-rich soils.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Domaine Nico is the world’s first luxury Pinot Noir winery born in the high-altitude soils of the Andes. Founded by Dr. Laura Catena—managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and a fourth-generation vintner—the domaine reflects her deep passion for Pinot Noir and her desire to craft wines that can stand alongside the world’s best.

Named after her daughter, Nicola, Domaine Nico is rooted in small, high-elevation vineyard parcels in the Uco Valley. These sites, often over 1,300 meters in elevation, offer intense sunlight, cold nights, and limestone-based soils that are rare in the New World. Farming is sustainable and meticulous, with a focus on vineyard-specific character and minimal intervention.

The wines are made in collaboration with Burgundian-trained winemaker Roy Urvieta, and the style is unmistakably elegant—low alcohol, fresh acidity, and expressive aromatics, with an emphasis on site over extraction.

Histoire d’A represents the pinnacle of the project: a refined, contemplative Pinot Noir that tells the story not just of a pioneering woman in Argentine wine, but also of the singular potential of the Andes to produce world-class, terroir-driven Pinot Noir.