Cachette
Chardonnay
Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Region
Vintages:
2016
Price: $95 per bottle
Winemaking
Destemmed: No. 100% whole bunch pressed
Fermentation Vessel: French oak barrels.
Fermentation: Combination of indigenous and selected strains. 50% MLF
Press: Pneumatic horizontal press
Maturation: French oak 40% new. 10 months on lees with regular stirring.
Fining: Minimal to retain concentration and texture
Food pairing:
Cheese soufflé, Creamy chicken Vol-au-Vent, Crayfish tails with garlic butter, Smoked fish pie, Caviar
Vintage report
A dry winter made pruning enjoyable and as such we were finished in record time. Late August brought with it a wet spell which replenished ground moisture prior to the season. Budburst was nearly 2 weeks ahead of normal, starting as usual in the Chardonnay in early September.
A settled spring brought with it a good fruit set, the odd Southwesterly kept the crop loads in check. Dry warm weather through to mid January set us up with some very healthy fruit. The season did a bit of an about face in February and turned wetter and cooler than we are used to.
The majority of the work had already been done as we guided the crop to harvest by strategically hanging out individual parcels to gain optimum ripeness. The resultant wines are rich and plush with great presence and length.
Technical analysis:
Download technical sheet
Awards:
Bob Campbell: 4.5 Stars - 93 Points
Cameron Douglas: 90 points
2017
Price: $95 per bottle
Winemaking
Whole bunch pressed and fermented in French oak using a combination of indigenous and selected yeasts. Matured in French oak (30% new) for 8 months. Fined with bentonite and isinglass.
Food pairing:
Cheese soufflé, Creamy chicken Vol-au-Vent, Crayfish tails with garlic butter, Smoked fish pie, Caviar
Vintage report
An early spring with warmer than average temperatures brought us a very even bud burst and good fruit set. A series of northerly storms brought above average rainfall and high humidity, creating plenty of challenges in the vineyards, however the overall heat summation was well above our yearly average providing ripe and concentrated fruit.
Technical analysis:
Grapes: Chardonnay (100%)
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Production: 32l/ha. Single vineyard
Allergens: Isinglass (fish)
Download technical sheet
Awards:
Michael Cooper 2018: 5 star
Raymond Chan: 4 stars (18+/20)
Bob Campbell: 5 Stars - 96 Points
2018
Price: $115 per bottle
Winemaking
Destemmed: No. 100% whole bunch pressed
Fermentation Vessel: French oak barrels.
Fermentation: Combination of indigenous and selected strains. 40% MLF
Press: Traditional Basket
Maturation: French oak 40% new. 10 months on lees with regular stirring.
Fining: Minimal to retain concentration and texture
Food pairing:
Cheese soufflé, Creamy chicken Vol-au-Vent, Crayfish tails with garlic butter, Smoked fish pie, Caviar
Vintage report
A warm settled spring provided the backdrop and a very hot and dry November and December really set us up for another promising vintage. 24 days over 30C during the growing season and a combined December/January maximum average temperature of 28.6C gave us the heat summation to advance ripening nicely.
Veraison was very compressed and passed through in around 2 weeks by Jan 20th instead of the usual 4 weeks. February brought the rains, but due to the constant and meticulous work of our vineyard team the fruit was in great shape. Continuous rounds of canopy detailing kept the fruit hanging freely and quick drying.
All of this work paid off as March brought dryer conditions and harvest approached. Selectively picking when the fruit reached optimum condition and many small batch ferments allowing individual attention and precision in the winery.
The resultant wines like the vintage are filled with tension and poise. Supple and long they will age well and deliver an ever evolving experience over many years.
Technical analysis:
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Production: 32hl/ha. Single vineyard
Download technical sheet
Awards:
2019
Price: $105 per bottle
Winemaking
Whole bunch pressed in a vertical basket press and slowly fermented in French oak using
a combination of indigenous and selected yeasts with sequential inoculations. Matured in
225 liters barriques (40% new) for 10 months with partial malolactic fermentation. Regular
battonage and minimal fining to retain concentration and texture.
Food pairing:
Pumpkin and parmesan arancinis, Garlic herb butter roast chicken, Brown butter risotto with
lobster, Pappardelle with candied chestnuts and quail eggs, Caviar.
Vintage report
Warm breezy days, calm nights and the odd refreshing shower were the hallmarks of spring
this growing season. This allowed an abundant friuit-set which our team then set about
sculpting into perfect balance. Summer was kind with lots of sunshine, above average daytime
temperatures and 22 days over 30C during the growing season. Free draining North facing
sites allowed us to capture all that sun while shedding the little rain that fell. The beautifully
separated bunches ripened fully and harvest began earlier than usual. All varietals across the
vintage period were picked in optimal condition leading to much jubilation in the winery. The
resultant wines are showing great concentration, power and elegance even at this very early
stage. Wines approachable in their youth but destined to age for decades.
Technical analysis:
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Download technical sheet
Awards:
2020
Price: $105 per bottle
Winemaking
Whole bunches were very slowly pressed in a vertical basket with no sulphur added. Racked to premium oak, with staves from the prestigious Tronçais forest. Fermented by a combination of indigenous and selected yeasts and bacterias with sequential inoculations. Matured in 225 litre barriques (40% new) for twelve months with partial malolactic fermentation. Regular bâttonage and minimal fining to retain concentration and texture.
Food pairing:
Brown butter seared scallops with sunchoke purée, grilled summer vegetables with hollandaise, puff pastry smoked salmon and dill crème fraîche, baked Camembert with wildflower honey
Vintage report
Warm settled weather in spring provided an early bud burst and a compressed flowering and resultant fruit-set. Canopies were meticulously nurtured with laterals thinned by hand. After fruit-set we followed up with detailed leaf removal around the fruit zone, allowing the fruit to make the most of the abundant sunshine. December and January were some of the driest months on record, assisting with veraison to begin at least ten days earlier than usual. There was a meagre 243mm of rainfall in the growing season, the driest in ten years. This coupled with warm summer days, cool nights, and light maritime breezes helped to provide wines which are rich, ripe, opulent yet refined.
Technical analysis:
Download technical sheet
Awards:
Sam Kim Wine Orbit: 96 Points
