Pinot Noir

Enjoy this Pinot Noir with smoked duck breast, grilled portabello mushrooms and rack of venison.

Six clones of pinot noir were hand-harvested with ripe flavours and moderate sugar levels.

Following three weeks on skins, each batch was transferred into French oak barrels, approximately 40% new, for 12 months of maturation. Individual components are tasted and scrutinized to determine our final blend.

All fruit was de-stemmed into our small open-top stainless steel tanks and, after a pre-fermentation cold soak of several days, the fermentation commenced with naturally occurring yeast and at a maximum temperature of 32°C. We plunge caps during fermentation to ensure gentle and complete extraction of tannins, colour and flavours.

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.