The wines
of Cloudy
Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand
website: www.cloudybay.co.nz
Cloudy
Bay, possibly
New Zealand
's most well known winery, needs little introduction here, although
you might want to check out my earlier reports here,
here
and here
(bear in mind these are pretty dated. I recently revisited their range
with Dr Tony Jordan, who as well as having responsibility for Cloudy
Bay, also looks after Domaine Chandon in Australia’s Yarra Valley
and Cape Mentelle in Western Australia.
Cloudy
Bay
Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Marlborough
In 2006 this famous wine is pure and crisp, with some gooseberry
characters and a hint of tropical fruit. Very crisp and full; quite
green and grassy. 'Aromatically we have had bigger Cloudy Bay
Sauvignons', says Tony Jordan, 'but this has the correctness of
aromatics. This is how we like it: it is more like when you eat a
bunch of grapes'. 90/100
Cloudy
Bay Te Koko 2004 Marlborough
This is Sauvignon Blanc, but not as you known it. Made with wild
yeasts and a bit of barrel fermentation. 'We max out on the wild yeast
character, with linseed oil and lanolin', says Jordan. It is herby, oily and intense on the nose. The palate is rich and a
bit fruity, with lovely herbiness. Quite rich and full with a nice
mouthfeel, but not to everyone's taste. 92/100
Cloudy
Bay Chardonnay 2005 Marlborough
A good full yellow colour, this is a ripe wine made from the Mendoza
clone, hitting 14.5% alcohol. It is not trying to be white Burgundy. It has a bold, rich, spicy, herby nose. The palate is rich and
concentrated; full and bready. There's a bit of nuttiness and some
spiciness. This is a big wine with lots of everything. 91/100
Cloudy
Bay Pinot Noir 2005 Marlborough
Beautiful ripe sweet cherry and herb nose, with some focused spicy
oak and good complexity. Very perfumed and open. The palate is
delicious and well balanced with juicy cherry fruits and some
complexity. 'Changing the clonal mix is the story here', says
Jordan. 'In the next few years there will be a little more varietal
complexity and depth'. It's already a very good wine indeed. 93/100
wines
tasted 01/07
Find
these wines with wine-searcher.com
see also: Yarra
Valley series
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