27 Aug Three Interpretations of One Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay Harvest The Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction Chardonnay Collaboration
A unique collaboration between growers, winemakers and volunteers is behind three special Chardonnay lots in this year’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction.
Kate Lattey and Koldo Santamaria of No.287 Vineyard in Havelock North wanted to do something special for Cranford Hospice. Their boutique vineyard already supplied fruit to several premium Hawke’s Bay producers, but they wondered whether there might be an opportunity to create something uniquely collaborative – a project that would bring together growers, winemakers and the wider wine community in support of a great cause.
That vision began with an extraordinary act of generosity.
They donated more than three tonnes of premium Chardonnay fruit and invited three Hawke’s Bay winemakers to create their own interpretation from exactly the same harvest.
They approached Chris Scott Wines, Radburnd Cellars and de la terre – three respected names in Hawke’s Bay wine, each with their own distinct philosophy and style. All three immediately embraced the challenge.
What followed became one of the most ambitious, collaborative projects in this year’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction.
A Community Effort
Bringing the project to life required more than great fruit and talented winemakers.
With support from Bridget Wilton and the team at Greatvine Services, volunteers came together to hand-pick the fruit, contributing more than 180 volunteer hours in the vineyard. Family members, vineyard workers and supporters all played their part, donating their time and expertise to make the project possible.
The result was a true community effort – a project that perfectly reflects the spirit of the Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction and the generosity that has helped the event raise more than $5 million for Cranford Hospice over its 35-year history.
Same Fruit. Three Different Paths.
Each winemaker received approximately one tonne of Chardonnay fruit from the same vineyard, the same clone and the same vintage.
From there, the similarities ended.
Chris Scott Wines chose to gently whole-bunch press the fruit directly to barrel, allowing wild fermentation to create a Chardonnay of complexity, texture and longevity.
Radburnd Cellars focused on concentration, structure and precision, crafting a wine designed to reward careful cellaring and showcase the vineyard’s exceptional fruit.
De la terre took a very different approach, fermenting with indigenous yeast and avoiding oak altogether to create a pure expression of Chardonnay and place.
The wines remain in barrel and will not be bottled until 2027, but they are already revealing three very different personalities.
For auction supporters, the project offers a unique opportunity to follow the same harvest through three different wineries and see how individual winemaking philosophies shape the final result.
The Auction Lots
The wines will be offered as three separate full barrel lots at the 2026 Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction on Saturday 12 September.
Each lot comprises 288 bottles of wine that will be unavailable anywhere else.
For bidders, it is a chance to support Cranford Hospice while securing a wine that will never be replicated. For wine enthusiasts, it is an opportunity to compare three unique interpretations of the same fruit. And for everyone involved, it is a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together behind a shared cause.
From a conversation in a vineyard to three barrels quietly maturing across Hawke’s Bay, this project is a celebration of generosity, creativity and collaboration.
We can’t wait to see how the story ends.
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