From the atlas
Lake Chalice Wines
Marlborough producer working separate vineyard parcels across Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Marlborough, New Zealand |
| Main grapes | Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay |
| Signature wines | The Raptor Pinot Noir and The Raptor Chardonnay |
| Defining feature | Separate fermentation of fruit parcels from individual vineyards |
The Producer
Falcon Vineyard was the foundation site for Lake Chalice Wines, while the cellar now handles Marlborough fruit parcel by parcel. Chloe Gabrielsen separately ferments unique parcels from individual vineyards, keeping the fruit from each site distinct through fermentation.
Lake Chalice Wines is privately and locally owned in New Zealand, with Neal and Judy Ibbotson as owners and Chloe Gabrielsen as winemaker. The company works with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Raptor wines use particular small parcels that show clear varietal expression.
Place
Marlborough's early growers made wine in the Wairau Valley, and Lake Chalice remains tied to that valley through Falcon Vineyard, its foundation site. Falcon lies on part of an old river course in the heart of the Wairau Valley.
The named wines extend across nearby Marlborough landscapes. Eyrie Vineyard supplies The Raptor Pinot Noir from the lower Waihopai Valley. Talon is a Sauvignon Blanc block in Dillon's Point, east of Blenheim. The Raptor Chardonnay comes from the Wairau Valley.
Soil And Site
Falcon Vineyard has stony, sandy soils that require careful coaxing of the vines. Yields are low and the fruit is intensely flavoured.
Eyrie Vineyard covers 11.1 hectares of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir on well draining clay over gravel. It was first planted in 2002. Talon covers 11.4 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc on rich loamy alluvium and was first planted in 2007. Its silty loam reaches at least 1.5 metres deep.
Story
Lake Chalice was established in 1989 by two friends whose ambition was to produce internationally recognised Sauvignon Blanc. The early growers purchased land, planted vineyards and made their own wine in Marlborough's Wairau Valley.
Chloe Gabrielsen now handles the fruit through separate fermentations from individual vineyards. The original Sauvignon Blanc ambition sits alongside Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with The Raptor range built from small parcels chosen for clear varietal expression.
Vineyards And Cellar
Gabrielsen targets particular small parcels of distinctive fruit, sometimes from a single vineyard, for The Raptor wines. Separate fermentation allows each parcel to retain its own varietal character before the wines take their place in the range.
The Raptor Chardonnay combines clone 95 with Mendoza and clone 15, with clone 95 forming the predominant portion. The grapes are hand picked and whole bunch pressed, meaning the bunches enter the press intact. Fermentation takes place in new and one year old French oak barriques using uninoculated wild fermentation. The wine completes full malolactic fermentation and matures on its own lees for about ten months. Lees are the yeast cells left after fermentation, and time on them can add palate and flavour development.
Wines
The Raptor range is built around small parcels and clear grape expression. The Raptor Pinot Noir 2020 is a single vineyard red from Eyrie Vineyard. The Raptor Chardonnay 2019 is a white wine made entirely from Chardonnay from the Wairau Valley.
The Chardonnay range places The Falcon and The Raptor at different points. The Falcon offers a brighter style with bright citrus, fine texture and gentler oak influence. The Raptor is bolder and more layered, with barrel fermentation adding depth and richness.
In The Glass
The Raptor Pinot Noir shows blackberry, plum and cherry with lifted floral aromas. Fine grained tannins carry the wine across a smooth, supple palate, and coffee notes remain on the lingering finish.
The Raptor Chardonnay brings ripe stone fruit, honeycomb, citrus and almond biscuit to the nose. Peach, melon and pineapple fill the palate, with lively acidity, a mineral seam and vanilla oak. The Falcon Chardonnay is brighter in profile, with citrus, fine texture and gentler oak.
A Bottle To Understand It
Put The Raptor Pinot Noir first. It comes exclusively from Eyrie Vineyard in the lower Waihopai Valley and is made entirely from Pinot Noir. The grapes ferment in small open top vats, then complete malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine matures for 11 months in French oak barriques, with more than one third of the barriques new.
This bottle keeps the focus on one vineyard, one grape and one defined oak programme within the Lake Chalice range.
Anecdote
In 2015, stewardship of Lake Chalice passed to the Ibbotson family. Neal and Judy Ibbotson became the named owners of the Marlborough company. Lake Chalice describes itself as one of the few remaining privately and locally owned wine companies in New Zealand. The family's stewardship includes support for the Marlborough Falcon Conservation Trust in connection with the endangered Kārearea. The ownership change and the conservation commitment belong to the same company.
Final Word
Lake Chalice handles Marlborough fruit as individual vineyard parcels, with Chloe Gabrielsen fermenting those parcels separately. The Raptor wines carry that approach into Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sources
- https://lakechalice.com/pages/our-story
- https://lakechalice.com/pages/growing-wine
- https://www.nzwine.com/en/winery/lake-chalice-wines
- https://www.elitewines.com/winery/lake-chalice/
- https://winestoreeccleston.co.uk/?pID=15708&pPageType=1
- https://grape-to-glass.com/index.php/lake-chalice-raptor-chardonnay-19/
- https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/lake-chalice-7186501/
- https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/lake-chalice-the-raptor-7497101/
- https://lakechalice.com/products/chardonnay-twin-pack