Cloudy Bay is one of New Zealand’s most iconic wineries, founded in 1985 in the Wairau Valley of Marlborough at the northern end of the South Island. A partnership between Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and David Hohnen (co‑founder of Cape Mentelle), the estate helped define the global style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc—vibrant, aromatic, intensely pure, and driven by the region’s cool maritime climate and long sunshine hours. Cloudy Bay farms prime estate vineyards and works with select long‑term growers, focusing on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

This year’s harvest unfolded in slow motion. Normally, harvest at Cloudy Bay is a whirlwind of unrelenting action, but nature had other plans for 2025. For Sauvignon Blanc, that patience proved essential. The vines carried the largest bunches in memory, and the ripening process was prolonged. Waiting, tasting, and holding our nerve made all the difference. The result is a wine that shows just what patience can achieve: the bright, expressive, and beautifully poised Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is open and expressive on the nose, with aromas of peach, elderflower, makrut lime and freshly squeezed lemon. The palate is bright and layered with lemon curd and white nectarine, lifted by a refreshing character that recalls a cool sea breeze at the end of a warm day, with hints of sea salt and dune grass.

There is a sense of poise in every sip. The refined mid-palate is carried by steel-cut citrus acidity and an elegant, lingering finish. From 80 different portions tasted, only 61 were selected for the final wine.