Cloudy Bay, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2012

Intense, sumptuous and wonderfully perfumed with dark plum, black cherry, a hint of violets and an appealing gamey, savoury palate. Long and complex, hinting at its potential. The texture is seductively silky, blanketing a spine of fine tannins. Cloudy Bay was founded by David Hohnen and Kevin Judd, and is now owned by luxury goods giant LVMH. It is situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest wine growing region and home of some of the world's best Sauvignon Blanc. The winery’s plots, all based in the northern end of the South Island, benefit from the longest hours of sunshine in the country with coastal influences providing cool, clear nights. The area boasts two main types of soil which shape the different wines Cloudy Bay makes: 'You’ve either got a clay based soil or a gravel based type of soil.' Cloudy Bay owns four vineyard sites around the valley – two of which are 100% Sauvignon Blanc focused – Estate Vineyard and Widow’s Block. Two are based on the southern side of the valley - Barracks Vineyard, which is 100% Pinot Noir, and Mustang Vineyard, which has a mixture of the two varieties.