Cable Bay has five vineyards located throughout the western end of Waiheke Island. As well as the winery itself, all of Cable Bay's vineyard's are fully accredited with Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. 

The vineyards have been designed and developed incorporating leading edge viticultural practices. The row orientation has been positioned to match the natural contours, with an environmentally considerate approach to vineyard establishment and ongoing management. The vineyards feature a higher density of planting than conventional vineyards. They are planted in leading selections of Merlot, Chardonnay, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, with trellis design that optimises fruit quality. More recently, we have also planted Pinot Gris, Viognier and Syrah.  These varieties are proving to excel in the Waiheke terroir.

To complement the portfolio of Waiheke Island wines, Cable Bay sources grapes from grower-friends in Marlborough and Central Otago.  This enables our winemaking team to make the most of New Zealand's diversity in climate and geography while producing a complete range of wines.

The goal of all the vineyards is the production of premium wines that express the unique attributes of the individual vineyard sites.

 

 

Harvest 2011 Report


Waiheke Island

 

 

The 2011 vintage on Waiheke Island really tested both vineyard managers and winemakers alike. Here at Cable Bay the 2011 season started well, with near perfect conditions over flowering in late Spring. A warm growing season, consistent with the La Nina weather pattern was to follow. This resulted in fuller bunches, a higher crop load and a significantly greater level of canopy growth than that seen in 2010.  Similarly rainfall levels on Waiheke, especially in the second half of the growing season, were considerably higher than last year.

The growing conditions 2011 presented highlighted the importance of attention to detail in the vineyard at critical times of the year. Merit to the vineyard team at Cable Bay who studiously worked to ensure the fruit was exposed to sunlight and sea-breezes to minimise disease issues. The crop load was reduced to ensure the fruit was picked for optimum maturity. It was a testament to the vineyards team excellent work that all of our fruit was harvested in good condition.

The white varieties, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Viognier escaped much of the late season rain and were harvested in great condition, displaying characteristic flavor profiles. Now successfully through fermentation the 2011 whites are showing great potential – especially the Chardonnay.  Cable Bay’s 2011 Rose was also seen as a season highlight. The Merlot and Malbec grapes used to make the Rose were picked earlier in the season than in 2010. They went through a gorgeously aromatic fermentation that got the winery team very excited for the release of what will be a beautiful, elegant summer wine.

The reds on Waiheke wore some effect of the less than perfect end to the season.  The quality of the fruit when picked was good but not outstanding as seen in the relatively perfect vintage of 2010, whose wines are yet to be released. The stand out wine for the Waiheke 2011 vintage is the late-harvest Viognier, known affectionately as Sweet Gloria. For just the second time in Cable Bay’s history the season allowed for the production of a late harvest wine. A perfect patch of weather late in the season giving warm days and cool nights allowed for fantastic raisining of the grapes, as well as botrytis infection. This lead to intense sugar concentration in the berries, and at a stunning 50oBrix the picking of the ripest fruit Neill has witnessed in his 28 years of winemaking. Crushed and cold-soaked to allow the extraction of juice found us pressing off a gorgeous, sweet, honey-like nectar. The Sweet Gloria will slowly ferment in barrel over several months and is excitedly watched as it develops into a deliciously superb wine.

 

 

Marlborough

 

Sourced from Ian and Glenis McAlpine’s vineyard in the Omaka Valley.  Early in the season nerves were running high as the weather was not looking overly promising across the region. However conditions settled and 2011 looks to be an outstanding year for Sauvignon Blanc. At the McAlpine vineyard Cable Bay’s fruit was harvested in great condition and after dejuicing in Blenheim was transported to our Waiheke Island winery for fermentation.  The flavor and aroma profile of the wine is synonymous with classic Sauvignon Blanc’s of years past.

 

 

Central Otago

 

Following on from the successful 2010 vintage, Pinot Noir fruit from the Northburn Station in Cromwell was brought up to Cable Bay as whole bunches. Central Otago experienced a difficult season that again tested the viticulturalist’s skill and dedication to the vineyard. Fortunately the vineyard at Northburn is exceptionally well managed and all our five clones of Pinot Noir were picked in excellent condition at optimum maturity. Following a gentle de-stemming process and fermentation in small open-top vessels the 2011 Pinot Noirs, now in French oak barrels are looking to be more feminine in style than the more muscular 2010 wines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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