Selected for the Fine Wines of New Zealand List
Winery notes (NV)
"A fresh combination of Chardonnay led citrus and pear fruits underpinned by savoury tones from the Pinot Noir component and characters reminiscent of grilled bread and brioche. Deliciously crisp with toasty, creamy complexity, enhanced by a lingering nutty finish. Richly textured yet with a dry sophistication."
5 Stars Michael Cooper, 2021 Edition (NV)
"'Designed as an aperitif', Cloudy Bay's non-vintage Marlborough bubbly is a Chardonnay-dominant style, with 30 per cent Pinot Noir, grown in the Wairau Valley and hand-picked. The base wines are fermented and aged in tanks, large oak vats and small French oak barrels, and the bottle-fermented blend is matured for at least two years on its yeast lees, before it is disgorged. It is typically refined, tightly structured and elegant. The sample I tasted in late-2021 is bright, light lemon/green, with a real sense of vigour and complexity. It has a highly scented, yeasty bouquet, leading into a mouthfilling, vivacious palate with rich, peachy, citrusy, distinctly yeasty flavours, smooth, harmonious and long."
5 Stars & 95/100 Bob Campbell MW (NV)
"Rich, mouth filling Methode with plenty of bready, biscuity yeast autolysis supported by subtle citrus fruit flavours. This wine has a great texture, real power, an impeccable balance and a delicious texture. I cannot remember it being this good."
Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, October 2021 (NV)
"Aromas of lemon and apple, a fine lees autolysis, white peach and an overall harmonious elegant synergy. Wonderfully explosive mousse with a youthful fresh energy, quite captivating and fresh with flavours of citrus and white fleshed tree fruits, a core of fine lees and pastry baked goods. Balanced, crisp, refreshing, dry and ready. Best drinking from purchase and through 2026+. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir."
5 Stars & Top 10 Cuisine Sparkling Tasting, October 2018 (NV)
"Creamy and soft, bright flavours of lemon and red fruits are counterbalanced with savoury bread, mushroom and meal. The package is completed with a balanced line and a dusting of chalk."
Rated Excellent, 5 Stars & 94/100 NZ Wine Rater, March 2022 (NV)
"Pale lemon in colour. A complex, attractive, lees-derived bouquet showing hints of strawberry, raspberry, toasted hazelnuts, and buttered popcorn. A very tasty wine expressing elegance, complexity, weight, with a creamy mousse, delicate acidity and wide commercial appeal."