Cloudy Bay’s non-vintage Marlborough bubbly is a Chardonnay-dominant style, with 30 per cent Pinot Noir, grown in the Wairau Valley and hand-picked. The base wines are fermented and aged in tanks, large oak vats and small French oak barrels, and the bottle-fermented blend is matured for at least two years on its yeast lees, before it is disgorged. Refined, tightly structured and elegant, it typically has strong, citrusy, peachy, yeasty flavours, showing excellent depth and harmony. The sample I tasted in late 2017 (5*) has a rich, citrusy, yeasty bouquet. A very harmonious, instantly attractive wine, it is fresh and lively, with strong, citrusy, yeasty flavours, showing excellent vigour, complexity and length.
Details
Type: Sparkling Wines
Variety: Sparkling Wines
Vintage: 2017
Overall Rating for All Vintages Tasted: ★★★★✰ – 4.5 Stars
Price: $37 NZD
Sweetness: MED/DRY
Value for Money: AV
Buyer’s Guide Edition: 2018