Cloudy Bay : Sauvignon blanc Te Koko 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Sauvignon Blanc "Te Koko" 2023 from Cloudy Bay

Tasting

Color
The wine displays a bright straw-yellow hue with green highlights.

Nose
The bouquet opens with notes of fresh mango and lemon verbena, accompanied by candied citrus fruits. With a little air, nuances of sun-ripened lemon and a touch of honey gradually emerge.

Palate
On the palate, it stands out for its fullness and generous texture. It reveals aromas of meadow hay, candied citrus fruits and white nectarine, enhanced by notes of salted almond and a fine smoky minerality. The balance between ripe stone fruit and citrus intensity gives the wine great freshness and a distinctive acid profile. The finish is long and precise.

Food pairing

The Sauvignon Blanc "Te Koko" 2023 pairs perfectly with grilled fish, fine seafood, poultry in a creamy sauce, or aged goat cheese.

Serving and cellaring

This Sauvignon Blanc "Te Koko" 2023 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12 °C.

A rich and mineral Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough

The estate

Cloudy Bay was founded in 1985 by David Hohnen in Marlborough and has established itself as a pioneer of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Owned by LVMH, the estate farms 140 hectares of estate vineyards on the gravelly soils of the Wairau Valley. Committed to sustainability, the winery will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025, reaffirming its status as an international benchmark.

The vineyard

The Sauvignon Blanc "Te Koko" 2023 comes from parcels in the Wairau Valley, in the Motukawa, Widow's Block, Mustang and Brook Street areas. These old vines grow on warm, perfectly well-drained gravel soils that encourage optimal ripening of Sauvignon Blanc.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage in New Zealand was marked by an irregular start with disrupted flowering, resulting in lower yields and less compact bunches. The season proved mild and relatively wet, with regular rainfall from November to January, which required rigorous canopy management to limit disease pressure. Summer extended into March and April, providing stable ripening, supported by cool nights.

Winemaking and aging

After gentle pressing, the juice of the Sauvignon Blanc "Te Koko" 2023 undergoes 24 hours of settling before being transferred directly into oak barrels and foudres (large wooden vats). Alcoholic fermentation proceeds slowly over several months. Aging lasts 11 months on fine lees in barrels, foudres and concrete tanks. Final maturation follows a less oxidative approach, favoring stainless-steel tanks, concrete tanks and large wooden vessels. The blend is carried out after aging.

Grape variety

100% Sauvignon Blanc