Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2014 1.5L

While best known for their iconic Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay have long championed Marlborough Pinot Noir and are just so damn consistent. This is a much more restrained & elegant style than many other NZ producers, while still retaining all the power and drive associated with Burgundy. The Pinot Noir comes from iconic vineyards in Marlborough’s southern Wairau Valley, including our very special Mustang and Barracks vineyards. These sites sit on stratified layers of aged alluvial gravel topsoils and dense clay subsoils, balancing drainage and water availability and yielding Marlborough’s best Pinot Noir. The vines are trained with a vertical shoot positioned canopy. The 2014 growing season was busy. High September temperatures resulted in budburst two weeks earlier than in 2013. The shoots showed potential for high yields early in the season, with record bunch numbers evident by October. A cooler January hinted at a delayed harvest, but grape development continued unimpeded. The harvest was the second earliest in 30 years at Cloudy Bay, beginning on March 9th and completed by April 1st. The plaudits go to the vineyard workers, whose proactive shoot thinning allowed the fruit to ripen before the heavy rains arrived on April 9th. The resultant fruit had all the structural interest of 2010, with unprecedented freshness and varietal lift: a kaleidoscope of red berry and cherry flavours, true to classic Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir fruit was all de- stemmed before being gravity- fed into the open-topped fermentation vessels and cold- soaked for several days. During the fermentation, the caps were plunged to ensure gentle and complete extraction of tannins, colour and flavours. Following three weeks on skins, each batch was transferred into French oak barrels (35% new) and matured for 12 months before blending. Aromas on the 2014 pinot noir are long, fleshy and lithe. The powerful nose presents a classic Pinot Noir bouquet. Light shades of rose, violet and ripe berry fruit. On the palate structurally, the wine is seamless. Its concentrated palate is framed with ripe, silky tannins, while spicy oak and herbal notes bring extra complexity The Finer Details Style – Red Wine Varietal – Pinot Noir Country – New Zealand Region – Marlborough Vintage – 2014 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 14%