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Wine Description
The Story
The iconic wine behind the Cloudy Bay tale
Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine makers to venture into Marlborough. At the time, it was almost an unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard. But Cloudy Bay’s founder - David Hohnen - was convinced of its potential to produce great wine and invested in the best land of the region. Since then, Marlborough has risen to become New Zealand’s leading wine region, as well as one of the finest winemaking locations in the world.
The winery was named after Cloudy Bay, a body of water explorer Captain James Cook came across during his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. His discovery coincided with flooding in the region, which washed large amounts of sediment into the sea. Noticing the water’s opaque appearance, Cook cleverly christened the area Cloudy Bay.
Today, Cloudy Bay not only captures the essence of Marlborough but also embodies New Zealand's luxury to the world. The luxury of space and time, of intimate moments and nature’s rarest qualities.
Defined New Zealand's wine and established the Marlborough wine region globally.
Following the harvest, the free-run juice was cold-settled for 48-72 hours before racking. Fermentation was carried out primarily in stainless steel tanks, with approximately 7% of the blend fermented at warmer temperatures in old French oak barriques and large format vats. As usual, our Sauvignon Blanc was blended stringently to include only the best portions.
Wine Information
Innovation and meticulous attention to detail are the guiding principles of Cloudy Bay. The team is committed to producing ‘wines of region’ and strives to enhance the pure, bracing flavours and stunning vibrancy, naturally afforded by the climate and soils of Marlborough.
Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay Vineyards is situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough at the northern end of New Zealand’s South Island. This unique and cool wine region enjoys a maritime climate with the longest hours of sunshine of any place in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has estate vineyards located at prime sites within the Wairau Valley, and long-term supply agreements with five Wairau Valley growers. The main varieties grown are sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and pinot noir with lesser quantities of gewurztraminer, Riesling, and pinot gris.
Cloudy Bay wines are exported to over 30 markets, the principal ones being Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Europe and Japan. Cloudy Bay believes that the future success of specialist wineries lies in the production of high quality wines from varieties best suited to specific regions. At Cloudy Bay emphasis is placed on individual fruit character and the development of a recognisable estate wine style.
Cloudy Bay Vineyards was a founding member of the New Zealand Integrated Winegrape Production scheme, set up to develop a programme for sustainable vineyard management, which is now monitored by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Cloudy Bay’s impeccable scorecard reflects the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly vineyard management practices.
The winery takes its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley, which was named Cloudy Bay by Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770.
