A complex, rich and nicely settled nose here. This looks to have seen some gentle winemaker finessing, with slightly creamy melon and passionfruit notes ahead of gooseberry, sweet, dark herbs and grapefruit. The palate has lovely grapefruit citrus flavour, pristine passionfruit. The texture has just the right amount of grip, good length here too.
Tasting Notes Pale straw green in colour and mouth-wateringly fragrant, the 2003 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is redolent of a mid-summer kitchen ... ripe passionfruit, yellow plums, juicy limes and freshly picked basil. The palate is pure and refreshing with all the hallmarks of a small but perfectly formed crop ... flavours that echo the aromas, with piercing concentration, impeccably balanced acidity ...and a long, crisp finish.
Technical Notes Grapes were sourced from eight estate and grower vineyards located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the Wairau Valley. Free draining, stony soils typify the Rapaura and Renwick areas whilst Fairhall and Brancott are predominantly fine alluvial loams containing some clay. The majority of fruit was grown on the divided Scott Henry trellis system with the exception of a small percentage of young vines.