Gewurtztraminer

Delicious with richer dishes like chowder, parmesan oysters or crab soup from Patagonia.

Grapes were sourced from estate vineyards at Rapaura and in the Brancott Valley. Soils range from recently formed stony free-draining silts to more elevated and aged silty/clay loams. Planted at a density of 1,850 vines per hectare, the majority of fruit was grown on vines trained to a vertically shoot positioned trellis, with the balance on the divided Scott Henry trellis system. All vines are pruned to ensure low yields of approximately 2.5 tonnes per hectare.

The fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed in tank presses and the juice was pumped to small settling tanks. After a 72-hour settling period the juice was racked into old French oak barrels. Fermentation was allowed to proceed naturally with indigenous yeast and upon completion the wine was left in contact with yeast lees. Subsequently it was blended in September and then bottled mid December after a light fining for clarification.

Cloudy Bay Vineyards established in 1985 is today a partnership between champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and co-founder of Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia David Hohnen. The Cloudy Bay team is committed to producing 'wines of region' and strives to enhance the pure bracing flavors naturally afforded by the climate and soils of Marlborough. The winery and vineyards are situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island. This unique and cool wine region enjoys a maritime climate with the longest hours of sunshine of any place in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has estate vineyards located at prime sites within the Wairau Valley and long-term supply agreements with five Wairau Valley growers. The main varieties grown are Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.