The wines of Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand

The wines of Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand

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
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