Te Koko is an intriguing style of Sauvignon Blanc that has reached cult status around the world. Produced in very limited quantities this takes the famous Sauvignon Blanc fruit from the Cloudy Bay Vineyards that is gently pressed into mostly old French oak barrels and then left alone to do its thing. A long slow spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts is followed by a partial malolactic and another year or so in barrel resulting in a very different but beguiling style of Sauvignon Blanc.
Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Te Koko 2021 is initially closed on the nose but unfurls with notes of subtle tropicality, honey and graphite. The palate is extraordinarily complete, with complex layers of peach, preserved citrus and toasted nuts. A fine line of acidity and an enticing saline minerality balance the intense core of fruit and provide a fresh, palate-cleansing finish.
Te Koko ferments in French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, gaining complexity over four to five months under the watchful eye of our winemaking team. The wine then rests in barrel on fine lees for 15 months before blending and maturation in Cloudy Bay’s cellars."
5 Stars & 96/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, February 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Distinctive wine with passionfruit, gooseberry, tree fruits and citrus/lime zest characters. Purity and power with an ethereal texture and lingering finish. Captures the essence of the variety and delivers it with a unique twist of its own. A sauvignon with cellaring potential."
95+/100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2021 Vintage)
"Te Koko is arguably the wine that launched the concept of premium Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand in the 1980s—no mean feat. On the nose, this 2021 Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc leads with pink grapefruit, nashi pear, white pepper, layers of crushed shells and brine, with hints of vanilla pod and star anise. In the mouth, all of the above with additional cut fennel, suggestions of marzipan, graphite and white pepper. There is a gentle lees texture and brilliant length of flavor. Excellent wine. The only reason you could possibly not like this wine is if you don't like Sauvignon Blanc, and even then, I'd insist that you try it."
5 Stars & Super Classic, Michael Cooper, September 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Te Koko o Kupe ('The Oyster Dredge of Kupe') is the original name for Cloudy Bay; it is also the name of the Marlborough winery's intriguing oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc. Grown on the Wairau Valley floor, it is fermented and lees-aged in French oak barrels and large format wooden cuves. The 2021 vintage is a tightly structured, very ageworthy wine. Bright, light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with concentrated, ripe tropical fruit flavours, finely integrated oak, excellent complexity and a savoury, dry, lasting finish. Best drinking 2025+."