Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Wine information: Cloudy Bay Vineyards was established in 1985 by Kevin Judd and David Hohnen of Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia, and is today part of Estates & Wines. 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 winery takes its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley, which was named Cloudy Bay by Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. Widely regarded as the quintessential expression of the acclaimed Marlborough wine region, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is an international benchmark wine noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavours and fine structure. Grapes were sourced from estate and grower vineyards located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the Wairau Valley. Free draining, stony soils typify the Rapaura and Renwick areas whilst Fairhall and Brancott are predominantly aged alluvial loams containing some clay. Grapes were de-stemmed and transferred straight to tank presses within hours of picking. Free run and lightly pressed juice was cold settled for 48–72 hours then racked and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks at a low temperature to preserve freshness. At the blending bench, only components presenting a true expression of their vineyard site were considered. The final blend was bottled in early August.

Tasting Notes: Pale straw green in colour and enticingly fragrant, the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc offers lifted aromas of ripe stonefruit and juicy citrus with underlying notes of blackcurrant leaf and tomato plant spice. The palate is fine yet succulent, with zesty citrus flavours and fresh acidity. There is an appealing plushness about this wine especially as it leads into a lingering and characteristically crisp finish.

Food & Wine match: Gazpacho, Oysters natural, Goats cheese & fresh strawberries, Greenlip mussels with herb gremolata

 
     

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