Cloudy Bay
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: An Australian winery originally started Cloudy Bay Vineyards near Blenheim, New Zealand. Currently Cloudy Bay is part of Estates and Wines, the Moet Hennessy Wine Division.
Today Cloudy Bay Estate Vineyard, in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, is a part of Estates and Wines, a selected group of international wineries. Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Australia began the winery.
Cellar Door at Cloudy Bay
The entrance to Cloudy Bay Estate Vineyards is paved with brick. Abundant shrubbery with trees adds atmosphere to the facility. The cellar door (tasting room) has a large A-shaped white ceiling with dark wood trim. The floor is of light wood with a carpet. There is a stone fireplace. Four large windows allow views of the barrel room. A small basket of toys is available to occupy little ones.
Cloudy Bay’s Vineyards
Sarah Burton, Operations Winemaker, discussed the vineyards and wines. Cloudy Bay has six vineyards of Sauvignon Blanc and four vineyards with Pinot Noir. Together there are 340 hectares (840 acres) of vineyards. Fifty percent of these vineyards are owned by Cloudy Bay. The other fifty percent are sourced from other growers. In this last case, the vineyards are under the control of Cloudy Bay.
Winery
Cloudy Bay has three winemakers and produces about 200,000 cases of wine. One room is devoted to Pinot Noir and holds the tanks for the wine. Another room is for producing white wines. Tanks at the winery are located inside and outside the facility. The winery has a bottling line and gyropalettes for racking sparkling wines.
The group tasting was in the barrel room. The oak barrels are on loose stone allowing some humidity. The ceiling is insulated and has skylights. Floor and walls are of cement. Several large photos add to the ambiance of the winery.
White Wines
The Pelorus Vintage 2005 was a light straw color with notes of bread dough and fruit. The finish was crisp with a cleansing finish on the palate. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 was a light straw color. The aroma and taste offered herbal and lime nuances. The wine had a long aftertaste with notes of lime. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010 was a light straw color. The aroma had tropical fruit nuances while the taste had notes of yellow stone fruit. The finish was fruity with lime notes. Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2007 was a straw color. Oak notes were on the aroma. The taste offered hints of mineral, spices and apple. The finish reminds one of baking spices and apples. Cloudy Bay Riesling 2005 was a light yellow. The aroma was petrol and the taste had petrol with citrus nuances. The crisp finish had petrol notes yielding to citrus. Cloudy Bay Pinot Gris 2008 was a light straw color. There were pear notes on the aroma. The smooth taste offered peach and pear nuances. The wine finished with pear aromas.
Red Wines
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2006 was a ruby translucent color. There were cherry nuances on the aroma, taste and finish. The wine also had spices and mild tannins on the finish. Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2008 was a translucent red. The aroma was of cherries. The taste was smooth with cherry notes. The finish had mild tannins and was crisp with cherry notes.
Dessert Wines
Cloudy Bay Late Harvest Gewürztraminer 2008 was a golden yellow. The wine offered floral especially honeysuckle notes. The taste was smooth with yellow stone fruit and honey. The finish was sweet, fruity and floral. Cloudy Bay Late Harvest Riesling 2005 was a dark yellow with an herbal aroma. The taste was smooth and sweet with mineral notes. The finish was mineral then crispness kicked in.
Anyone visiting Blenheim on New Zealand’s South Island may want to visit Cloudy Bay Family Estate winery only minutes away.
Cloudy Bay
Jacksons Road
Woodbourne 7273, Marlborough
New Zealand
