For those that don’t know, this wine has everything thrown at it: sundry tools, the kitchen sink and even the Triton workbench. Both whole bunches and de-stemmed fruit are pressed, then settled and racked directly into French oak barrels (a low proportion of which is new). Primary fermentation uses indigenous yeast and in this case did not finish until Christmas almost 8 months later. The wine then goes through malolactic fermentation, and is left in barrel on the yeast lees until the very end of October of the following year. It is then racked, fined and bottled.
Unlike 99% of other Sauvignon Blancs on the market: coconut husk, attar of roses, potpourri, buttery oak, and some oxidative and aldehydic characters – certainly a wine to divide the room – a real “love-it-or-hate-it” kind of style. The palate is a journey into unknown regions: creme brulee, vanillan oak, weighty funky fruits, but beautiful balance and a drying finish. Doesn’t seem to be a wine that will profit from too much more aging (it’s 3 years old already), and I’m really at a loss to suggest what food you would consume with it. It is perhaps a bit pricey, but it you like it, there’s isn’t a lot of choice.
Rated : 88 Points
Tasted : Feb06
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : $45
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2006 – 2008
Website : Cloudy Bay
