Cedalion Background

Sir Issac Newton famously said “If I have seen further than others before me, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”

This idea of progress through collaboration is at the heart of Sam’s personal and winemaking philosophy, and was the inspiration behind Cedalion.

In Greek mythology the character Cedalion, a humble servant from Lemnos, was the one who, literally, stood on the shoulders of the blinded giant Orion to guide him to Helios and restore his vision.

Cedalion Wines

In 2013 Sam answered a lifelong call: to relocate his young family from London to Waiheke Island and dedicate himself to making world-class Chardonnay from an untested site. Cedalion was born.

Each wine is made exclusively from a single vineyard (i.e. no blending of different vineyards) to express that particular site. They are only produced in tiny volumes, so winemaking is hands-on and meticulous.

Sam uses a sympathetic approach to winemaking which means only intervening in the winemaking process where necessary, which results is a more site-expressive wine.

These wines are deliberately made for cellaring. Stylistically they are made in a more European style: Elegant, less oak, less alcoholic.