Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2020

Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2020Subtle oak Peach & melon Lemon blossom Fresh & focused "Ripe and vibrant bouquet, varietal with scents of grapefruit and peach then layers of new and aged oak scents, cream and vanilla, yoghurt and baking spices. The palate reflects the bouquet with fruits and wood impacts, a quince and citrus then apple and qualities, plenty of acidity and bite from the oak. A lovely wine with weight and intensity, youthful and a vibrant mouthfeel. Well made,

• Subtle oak
• Peach & melon
• Lemon blossom
• Fresh & focused

"Ripe and vibrant bouquet, varietal with scents of grapefruit and peach then layers of new and aged oak scents, cream and vanilla, yoghurt and baking spices. The palate reflects the bouquet with fruits and wood impacts, a quince and citrus then apple and qualities, plenty of acidity and bite from the oak. A lovely wine with weight and intensity, youthful and a vibrant mouthfeel. Well made, lengthy, dry and complex. A wine best enjoyed from late 2024 through 2030" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Jul 2023

"Moderately intense Chardonnay with grapefruit, sizzled butter, nutty oak and hazelnut flavours. Quite a weighty wine with a pleasing texture and a refreshing backbone of bright acidity" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Jul 2023

"Medium-bodied white with aromas of pie crust, hazelnuts, spiced apples and apricot stones. Creamy, tasty and well-balanced with delicious pastry and nut elements to the stone fruit. Sustainable. Drink now"

From grapes grown on naturally low yielding, 23 year old vines, this wine is vibrant and complex. Lemon blossom, peach, melon and earthy clay pot aromas complement a fresh and focused palate. Fine phenolic texture and minerally acidity add depth and length respectively. The salinity from the ocean, subtle oak influence, together with juicy tree fruit notes from the grapes, round out what is truly a charming wine.

Cable Bay Vineyards is dedicated to crafting exquisite wines known for their subtlety, elegance and depth. Taking an Old World approach and combining it with New World techniques, Cable Bay’s opulent wines are a stylish reflection of the land where they began.
All of Cable Bay’s vineyards are accredited with SWNZ (Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand).

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay clones 15, 95, 6 and 548 grown on a single vineyard site in our estate owned Waiheke Island Vineyard. We are located on the sun-drenched, western side of the island, facing Rangitoto Volcano. We have predominantly mineralised clay soils over Jurassic era rock. Typically, this type of geology and soil will provide wines with great mid-palate weight and minerality. Our viticulture is meticulous, with the aim of balanced, heathy vines, which bear beautifully ripe grapes with intense concentration of natural Chardonnay characteristics. Harvesting perfect fruit is our first priority.

The ripe fruit was hand-harvested early in the morning whilst the grapes were nice and cool, transported across the road to the winery, and immediately whole bunch pressed. It was then pressed directly to barrel, leaving textural Chardonnay juice to enter wild yeast fermentation. No malolactic fermentation on this wine, to preserve the natural acidity of our warmer sub-tropical climate. Following barrel ferment, the wine aged in second use oak puncheons and barriques on full lees for 12 months before assemblage, and then a further 5 months integrating together as a blend in tank, before bottling.