Cable Bay Waiheke Island Viognier 2019

Description

• Creamy 
• Toasted nut
• Ginger
• Defined finish

"Ripe, fruit-focused, dry and creamy-textured viognier with apricot, floral, honeysuckle, toasted nut and ginger flavours. A seductive wine that's accessible now. Drink 2020–2023" Bob Campbell, therealreview.com, Mar 2020

This year winemakers foot stomped a small percentage of the fruit, and whole-bunch pressed the rest. This has created a lovely textural wine with fruit purity and definition. Bush honey, apricot, spicy orange zest, lemonade and elderflower fragrances characterise this aromatic wine. The wine has been aged for an extra few months than usual this year, using a concrete egg, French acacia, and oak large format barrels. This technique has allowed for excellent flavour development and phenolic integration. The juicy fruit and balanced, fresh palate has been refined by blending a touch of marsanne and a twinkle of pinot gris. She’s known to be a soft-hearted golden girl with an unwavering backbone. Never one to be content in the background, she is quick-witted and overflowing with personality.

Crafted from a selection of small blocks located at the Western end of Waiheke Island, viognier thrives in our warm maritime climate. The grapes were hand harvested when flavours peaked inside the small window of optimum ripeness that occurs with this variety. Our vineyard management is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Carrying on the previous theme of the last few years 2018 saw another load of happy staff, foot-squishing a portion of the hand-harvested viognier, we really like the textural element foot stomping and macerating brings to the finished wine. The remaining fruit was delicately whole-bunch pressed. The pressed juice was then divided for fermentation using a concrete egg, French acacia, and oak barrels. The wine was rested on lees for eight months before bottling. As a result of curiosity and adventure, this wine has turned into a delicious, complex number with multiple layers. It is perfectly expressive of the vintage and site upon which it was grown.

Food Pairing: Goat cheese tortellini with smokey bacon lardons and parmesan.