Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2016

When Marlborough first acquired its reputation for producing world class Sauvignon Blancs, that was largely down to Cloudy Bay. To this day, their vibrant white wine continues to be one of the best of this variety in the region.

Citric aromas of zesty lemon, Kaffir lime and nectarine intermingle with orange blossom on the nose before dominating the palate with ripe citrus and stone fruit flavours typical of a New Zealand Sauvignon. These are framed with a sleek and succulent acidity providing great structure.

Cloudy bay was one of the first five wine makers to venture in the Marlborough, New Zealand, in 1985. At that point in time it was almost an unimaginable place to set up a vineyard but the winery’s founder, David Hohnen, trusted his instincts. Convinced that the region had high potential to produce great wines, he invested in some of the best land available. Since then, Marlborough’s reputation has risen to become New Zealand’s leading wine region.

The name ‘Cloudy Bay’ is derived from a body of water that Captain James Cook discovered in 1770 during his voyage to New Zealand. At the time, the region was flooded and resulted in large amounts of sediment being washed into the sea. This gave the water an opaque appearance, leading to Cook’s christening of the area as Cloudy Bay.

Following harvest of the grapes for the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, the free-run juice from the fruit is cold settled for approximately 48-72 hours before racking. Fermentation firstly takes place in stainless steel tanks with a mixture of cultured and wild yeasts. Around 3% of the blend is fermented at a warmer temperature in old French oak barriques.

This white wine offers a vibrant mix of Kaffir lime, lemon zest, nectarine and orange blossom aromas. The palate is filled to the brim with ripe citrus and stone fruit flavours, elegantly framed by a sleek and succulent acid architecture.