Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer, Marlborough

Description

Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer is an aromatic white wine made at Cloudy Bay Vineyards in New Zealand. It is only ever made in very limited quantities.

Cloudy Bay Vineyards was established in 1985 by Kevin Judd and David Hohnen (founder of Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia). Cloudy Bay was eventually bought by the multination luxury goods company Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy (LVMH) in 2003. The winery and vineyards (three main sites comprising some 140 hectares) 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 winery takes its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley, which was named Cloudy Bay by Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770.

Cloudy Bay Gewurztraminer is a distinctive style, first made in 1997 from a trial block planted at Cloudy Bay to assess the suitability of various clones of Gewurztraminer in Marlborough. It is produced from fruit hand harvested grapes grown at vineyards in Rapaura the Brancott Valley. The grapes are hand harvested using indigenous yeasts (this is often known as “wild ferment”)  in old French oak barrels. The wine is then aged for around 2 years with an extended period on the lees which adds depth and a creamy texture.