2007 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc suffered poor flowering: moderate intensity on the nose with scents of gooseberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of chalk, it reveals a good sense of minerality after aeration, the palate well-balanced with kiwi fruit and ripe green apples, leading towards an understated finish. What one might call a “correct” Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay needs no introduction: unquestionably the winery that put New Zealand on the international map and presciently understood the aesthetic appeal of an emotive label. Now part of the LVMH portfolio, the winery is a magnet for visitors to Marlborough. They farm around 200 hectares of vines in the Wairau Valley, Renwick and Omaka Valleys augmented by five grape-growers under long-term contracts. Of course historical significance bears nothing upon my evaluation and whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with Cloudy Bay’s range, they lacked the thrills and perhaps the soul of other New Zealand wines that I encountered, as if the wines err on the side of caution in order not to imperil its worldwide reputation. In essence, I would like to see less of “Cloudy Bay” the brand and more of Kevin Judd, the talented winemaker. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200

Fragrant and surprisingly delicate. Quite powdery. Very tight, dry and linear. Good concentration but not very vivacious. (JH)