Cloudy Bay : Pinot Noir 2022

Tasting Notes and Recommendations for Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2022

Tasting

Color
The color reveals a deep, vibrant ruby red.

Nose
Full and expressive, the nose opens with aromas of small hedgerow berries, crumpled rose petals, and sun-warmed red cherry.

Palate
On the palate, velvety tannins and bright acidity bring structure and harmony to a core of summer berries, highlighted by sweet spices and a hint of cookie-like vanilla. The long, lingering finish evokes summer evenings, strawberries hidden in the shade of the vine canopy, and the aromatic memory of grill smoke.

Food and Wine Pairing

This Pinot Noir pairs perfectly with red meat, feathered game, and hard cheeses. Its smooth, silky character makes it a versatile wine for many occasions.

Serving and Cellaring

It is recommended to serve this Pinot Noir 2022 at 16 °C. To fully express its aromatic range, open the bottle 30 minutes before tasting or decant it. This wine can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve until around 2032.

An Elegant, Expressive Pinot Noir from Marlborough

The Estate

Founded in 1985 by David Hohnen, Cloudy Bay is one of the five pioneering estates of Marlborough and has helped raise the global profile of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Owned by the LVMH group since 1990, the estate now farms 140 hectares across three sites in the Wairau Valley, complemented by 170 hectares under long-term contracted vineyards. Under the leadership of winemaker Kelly Stuart since 2023, Cloudy Bay prioritizes quality over quantity, maintaining moderate yields on its origin sites.

The Vineyard

This Pinot Noir comes from the Mustang, Delta, and Barracks parcels in the Southern Valleys of Marlborough. The vines thrive on gentle, north-facing slopes and benefit from optimal sunshine. Trained in a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) system, they take root in cool clay soils and ancient alluvial gravels with dense clay subsoils, offering an ideal balance between drainage and water availability.

The Vintage

The 2022 growing season begins with a winter marked by abundant rainfall, replenishing water reserves. The mild, pleasant spring sees a few limited frost events, effectively controlled by protective systems installed at the estate. Despite variable conditions, Pinot Noir develops under favorable circumstances. Extensive green harvesting is carried out to optimize balance and reduce disease pressure, alongside careful canopy management to ensure grape health. Harvest conditions prove excellent, allowing the grapes to be picked at perfect ripeness between March 17 and April 1, 2022.

Winemaking and Aging

After strict optical sorting, the grapes for this Pinot Noir 2022 are gravity-fed into open-top fermentation tanks. Maceration is carried out with gentle punch-downs and lasts an average of 21 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation is completed 100%. The wine then ages for 11 months in French oak barrels, 30% of which are new barriques.

Grape Variety

This red wine from New Zealand is 100% Pinot Noir.