Cloudy Bay

CLOUDY BAY
SAUVIGNON BLANC 2006

HARVEST BEGAN EARLIER THAN EVER BEFORE WITH AN IDYLLIC SUMMER AND RELATIVELY LOW CROP LOADS DELIVERING RIPE FRUIT WITH INTENSE AROMATICS.

Mouth-watering aromas of passionfruit and lemongrass led with the spiciness of just-picked tomatoes tossed with fresh basil. Many small parcels of fruit, ripened under ideal conditions, bring layers of complexity to the 2006 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. The palate has exceptional richness, with ripe gooseberry flavours and a hint of fresh fennel leading to a powerful, crisp finish.

Grapes were sourced from estate and grower vineyards located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Wairau</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. Free draining, stony soils typify the Rapaura and Renwick areas whilst Fairhall and Brancott are predominantly aged alluvial loams containing some clay. The majority of fruit was grown on a vertical shoot positioned (VSP) trellis, and the balance on the divided Scott Henry trellis system. In 2006 sauvignon blanc yields averaged 8.4 Tonnes/hectare (3.4 Tonnes/acre).

The season got off to a relatively warm, frost-free start with budburst occurring almost three weeks earlier than normal. Ideal growing conditions prevailed throughout the spring, but with December came wet and windy weather. The unsettled conditions affected the flowering period, resulting in incomplete berry set and consequently low crop levels. The warmth returned early in the New Year and conditions during the remainder of the summer were idyllic. The combination of an early spring, low crops, and warm sunny weather brought on the ripening and - for the first time ever - harvesting commenced at the end of February. Fruit quality was superb and picking was hurried as all vineyards ripened rapidly, but two dumps of rain in late March slowed things down and put a cloud of apprehension over the vintage. Fine weather with low humidity followed the rain, leaving the fruit unscathed and picking resumed in earnest..

The Sauvignon Blanc harvest began on the 13th of March – the earliest start date on record - under settled conditions, the first fruit coming from the stonier, warmer blocks around the winery. Harvesting continued steadily during the month through the progressively later ripening sites, with the last fruit coming in on the 7th of April. All vineyards were picked at optimum ripeness. Despite the season being average in terms of heat summation, the harvest was completed by the 10th of April ... allowing the Cloudy Bay team to experience Easter for the first time without their gumboots on.

The fruit was machine harvested during the cooler night and early morning temperatures and transported directly to the winery. The grapes were de-stemmed and transferred straight to tank presses. Free run and lightly pressed juice was cold settled for 48 hours then racked and inoculated with a neutral yeast strain. The fermentations were carried out in stainless steel tanks; after fermentation the wine remained in contact with yeast lees for around two months, prior to blending in July and subsequent bottling in August. Final wine analysis shows an alcohol of 13.5%, pH of 3.15 and titratable acidity 7.6 g/L