Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesVibrant and intense, a mouthwatering mix of lemon meringue, ruby grapefruit, lime sherbet and dried pineapple notes that leap out the glass with equally intense aromatics. A hint of lemon verbena and dried ginger linger on the finish. Drink now.
A fresh, creamy-textured white with lots of freshness and lovely pear and green-apple character. Some white pineapple. It’s medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a flavorful finish. Less herbs and more clean, ripe fruit.
Delightfully textured and smooth with balanced yet mouthwatering acidity, this wine veers into the green hedgerow spectrum of Sauvignon; think nettles and elderflowers rather than flamboyant tropical fruits. That said, there's a subtle flavor of passion fruit running through this wine. Midweight with some decent concentration, it offers nice grip on the medium-plus-length finish. Don't chill the hell out of this or you'll miss the best bits. I've given a drinking window of 2020–2025 but having tasted a delightful 14-year-old Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like a mature Sémillon, I can say that you’re not in any danger if you leave it longer. Drinking window: 2020 - 2024
Cloudy Bay Vineyards, established in 1985, is today a partnership between champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and co-founder of Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia, David Hohnen. The Cloudy Bay team is committed to producing 'wines of region' and strives to enhance the pure, bracing flavors naturally afforded by the climate and soils of Marlborough. The winery and vineyards are situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island. This unique and cool wine region enjoys a maritime climate with the longest hours of sunshine of any place in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has estate vineyards located at prime sites within the Wairau Valley and long-term supply agreements with five Wairau Valley growers. The main varieties grown are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
