Wine

Cloudy Bay Vineyards was established in 1985 by Cape Mentelle, the Western Australian winery, which today is a part of the Moët Hennessy Wine Estates.

The company farms 140 hectares of vines at three carefully selected sites. Vineyards planted in 1986 surround the winery in the Wairau Valley at Rapaura, with additional plantings at nearby Renwick and in the Brancott Valley, in the southern foothills. Five long term contract growers also work closely with Cloudy Bay.

The main varieties grown are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir with lesser quantities of riesling and gewurztraminer. The average annual crush is 1200 tonnes.

The winery takes its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley. It was named Cloudy Bay by Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770.

The wines of Cloudy Bay are exported to 20 countries worldwide, the principal markets being Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Europe and Japan. Cloudy Bay will continue to expand its operations and the company believes that the continued success of Marlborough lies in the production of premium wines from varieties best suited to the region.

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Wine production in Marlborough is concentrated in the Wairau River Valley where the climate is very cool yet sunny. The region gets more sunlight per year than any other region in the world. Its deep gravel beds, deposited by the river, provide an ideal soil structure for the production of fine wine. Grapes in the Wairau Valley benefit from a long hang time due to dry autumns that make it possible for growers to leave grapes on the vine until late in the season.



The winery has three vineyards covering 140 hectares, or nearly 350 acres. The Estate Vineyard is the oldest, located near the winery in the Wairau Valley near the village of Rapaura. This vineyard is mostly planted to Sauvignon Blanc, with a bit of Chardonnay. The Widow's Block vineyard was purchased in 1998, after the winery was sold to LVMH. This site is also mostly planted to Sauvignon Blanc, with a bit of Pinot Noir. Barracks Block Vineyard is just coming into production and is dedicated solely to Pinot Noir. Additional estate vineyards are located in nearby Renwick and in Brancott Valley.

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Cloudy Bay has always been focused squarely on the fruit. Sauvignon Blanc is picked at night as ripe as possible, lightly pressed, fermented in stainless steel tank and aged on the lees for about two months.


Sauvignon Blanc
The Wairau Valley of Marlborough is synonymous with the world's finest sauvignon blanc and it was this variety that inspired the establishment of Cloudy Bay Vineyards in 1985. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc played a significant role in establishing this international reputation and is consistently regarded as one of the region's finest.

The Cloudy Bay team combine meticulous viticulture, modern winemaking technology and traditional vinification techniques to produce a style notable for its structure, complexity and fine balance. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is an elegant aromatic wine with appealing fruit and crisp acidity.


Te Koko
Cloudy Bay Te Koko is an individual expression of the sauvignon blanc grape, a complex and savoury wine that is both deliciously aromatic and richly textured. Aromas of lychee and honeysuckle intermingle with the scent of thyme and a hint of smoky oak. Released as a matured wine, Te Koko is a full-bodied, alternative style of sauvignon blanc ... a complimentary addition to the Cloudy Bay range.

The winemaking philosophy of Te Koko is very much 'hands off', and is the result of winemaking curiosity, having employed similar techniques with chardonnay. After harvesting and pressing, the juice is transferred to French oak barrels and allowed to undergo fermentation using naturally occurring yeast. This primary fermentation is subsequently followed by a full malolactic fermentation in the following spring. The wine is left in barrel, on yeast lees for 18 months prior to bottling.

The bay at the Eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley, named 'Cloudy Bay' by Captain Cook, was originally known as 'Te Koko - o - Kupe' by the Maori people of the region. Legend has it that Kupe, the Tahitian explorer dredged for oysters in the bay and Te Koko refers to the scoop used by Kupe to lift the oysters from the seabed.


Chardonnay
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay has steadily built a stature and reputation in line with that of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are sourced from both estate and contract vineyards within the Wairau Valley.

Traditional vinification methods are employed to produce an intriguing and complex wine. These include, wild yeast and malolactic fermentations, prolonged contact with yeast lees and ageing in French oak barriques. Alcohol levels are naturally high and produce a wine with body and viscosity. The dominant fruit characters of melon and peach blend harmoniously with toasty vanillin oak and mealy yeast autolysis characters.


Pinot Noir
Pinot noir thrives in Marlborough where Cloudy Bay has planted the best clones in prime vineyard locations to produce the highest quality fruit. Crop levels are carefully controlled to ensure the grapes have great concentration of flavour and this is enhanced by tried and true 'hands off' winemaking practices.

Vinified using traditional fermentation techniques with subsequent maturation in French oak casks, the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir is a richly flavoured, medium bodied and finely structured wine. Bright vermilion with purple tints, it typically shows enticing fragrant aromas of mulled plums, cherries and tobacco and has a full lingering palate. It is a style that will gain additional complexity with medium term cellaring.

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