Cloudy Bay : Sauvignon blanc Te Koko 2019

Cloudy Bay produces an aromatic and balanced New Zealand Chardonnay wine

The estate

The Cloudy Bay estate was founded by David Hohnen in 1985 in Marlborough, New Zealand. Surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful scenery between the Pacific Ocean and the Richmond Range, the estate is located at the entrance to eponymous bay. Produced with the utmost respect for the terroir and its environment, each Cloudy Bay wine captures the distinctive expression of a great terroir.

The wine

Cloudy Bay's 2019 Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc is made from old vines planted in the Wairau Valley, known for its warm, gravelly soils with an excellent drainage.

The vintage

A mild winter and a warm start to spring favoured an early budding of the vines, but the coolness and instability during the flowering period had an impact on the yields. The heavy rainfall until December gave way to hot and dry conditions until the harvest. The grapes harvested between March 15th and April 2nd, the earliest end of a Sauvignon Blanc harvest since the estate was founded 34 years ago, are ripe, fruity and well-concentrated.

Vinification and ageing

The harvested grapes are gently pressed and racked for 24 hours before being put into French oak barrels (8% new wood) and large wooden vats. Slow and regular fermentation with wild yeast. Aged in barrels for 11 months before blending, then further aged in steel, concrete and large wooden vats.

The blend

Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2019 is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

The tasting

Nose

Subtle, nuanced and complex, the nose blends citrus, stone fruit and wood smoke fragrances.

Palate

The palate is seduced by this wine’s structure, balance, aromatic complexity that mixes aromas of pear and oak with mineral and refreshing citrus notes. The palate reveals its density and power and leads up to a refined and persistent finish.