A Waiheke Island wine, from the very good 2019 vintage. Expressive and bold on the nose, with vibrant aromas of lemon zest, fennel, chestnut, nectarine, ginger, acacia, golden apple and white smoke. Medium to full bodied, with a delicate ‘green’ freshness and finesse that keeps the concentrated, plush fruit in check. Excellent structure, with zesty acidity, rounded phenolics and a frame of vanilla, cardamom spiced and toasted oak. The palate gets deeper and complex, with dried pineapple, fig, honey and mandarin notes. An interesting drying pithiness to the long, intricate finish. 95pts.
I was fortunate to be having lunch at the excellent restaurant the day after the 2020 version of this was bottled, and can report that the next vintage may be even better…
One Comment on “Tantalus ‘Cachette’ Reserve Chardonnay 2019”