Wine Advisor
Cloudy Bay, Chardonnay 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Rebecca Gibb MW
This is a ripe, generously oaked 2023 Chardonnay. This offers liberal vanilla, coconut, baking spices and toasted nuts with rich fruit tones that will have you thinking of nectarines or peaches as it slips down. Its appeal is in its purity and freshness. The 2023 has ripe fruit but it remains defined and finishes with line and focus but then this is Marlborough—lots of sunshine hours but a cool climate, which are plain to see in this wine.
Reviewed by: Erin Larkin
The 2023 Chardonnay is tight and pithy, laden with white peach, lemon brine, a subtle display of woodsy spices and curry peach to close. This is balanced and fresh, and all elements of the wine are in balance with each other, making for pleasurable drinking. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
About the Producer
In the easternmost part of the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand's South Island, there is a bay that was named "Cloudy Bay" in 1770 by a sea captain named Cook on his voyage to New Zealand. This is where Cloudy Bay gets its name. The winery was founded in 1985 and was one of the first five wineries to be established in Marlborough. Since its inception, the winery has been highly regarded and has quickly become a globally recognized standard producer of white wines. Cloudy Bay's critical acclaim has paved the way for the global success of New Zealand wines. Cloudy Bay is located in the Wairau Valley of Marlborough on New Zealand's South Island, a region with a cool climate, high humidity, predominantly clayey soils and the longest sunshine hours in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has its own vineyards here (the winery also buys grapes from local farmers) and grows Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a small portion of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. Pinot Gris.) Innovation, meticulous attention to detail and adherence to regional identity are the hallmarks of Cloudy Bay. The winery is now also actively promoting a more environmentally friendly approach to vineyard management. Cloudy Bay's Sauvignon Blanc wines are very popular both domestically and internationally. The grapes for this wine are harvested by machine and the juice is left to rest for 48 hours after pressing, after which it is fermented in stainless steel tanks and left in contact with the fermentation residue for two months before being blended and bottled. This wine has a rich, layered fruit aromas, including mango and orange, and is rich and fresh on the palate. Besides the most famous Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay actually makes many other grape varieties, such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, etc. It also produces two sparkling Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blends, which are made using the traditional Champagne method.
