Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2020

James Suckling 92
A fresh, creamy-textured white with lots of freshness and lovely pear and green-apple character. Some white pineapple. Its medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a flavorful finish. Less herbs and more clean, ripe fruit.

Decanter 92
It would be easy for Cloudy Bay to rest on its laurels, such is its renown, but you can't argue with the quality (even if you might at the price). The sweet, juicy pink grapefruit, guava and passion fruit notes are elegant, not in your face, and balanced well by brisk acidity. Delicious!

Vinous 91
Delightfully textured and smooth with balanced yet mouthwatering acidity, this wine veers into the green hedgerow spectrum of Sauvignon; think nettles and elderflowers rather than flamboyant tropical fruits. That said, there's a subtle flavor of passion fruit running through this wine. Midweight with some decent concentration, it offers nice grip on the medium-plus-length finish. Don't chill the hell out of this or you'll miss the best bits. I've given a drinking window of 20202025 but having tasted a delightful 14-year-old Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like a mature Smillon, I can say that youre not in any danger if you leave it longer. Drinking window: 2020 - 2024

Winemaker Notes

This Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and vibrant on the nose, with aromatics of bright citrus, kaffir lime, orchard blossom and passion furit. The palate is concentrated and mouthwatering, with juicy stone fruit and subtle tropical characters underpinned by a fine minerality and meyer lemon acidity.
Enjoy with keta salmon maki and asparagus with balsamic vinaigrette.

Cloudy Bay Vineyards is a winery in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The winery is primarily noted for its Sauvignon blanc wines, and have played an important pioneering role in establishing New Zealand's and Marlborough's reputation. Cloudy Bay's first commercial vintage was produced in 1985 from purchased grapes, and the company later planted its own vineyards. It was one of the first New Zealand wines to be widely exported and came to attention because its fruit-forward style and very pronounced varietal character. The classic French Sauvignon blancs from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley were typically more restrained and austere in comparison, and with higher acid levels.

Cloudy Bay winery was established in 1985 by David Hohnen, the founder of Margaret River winery Cape Mentelle Vineyards. Cloudy Bay's 140 hectares (350 acres) of vineyards are located at three sites in the winegrowing region of Marlborough, including areas close to the bay for which they are named. The region is noted for its production of Sauvignon blanc wines. The vines are planted on deep alluvial gravels. Five long-term contract growers also work closely with Cloudy Bay.