94 pts Wine Advocate
Drinking Window 2026 - 2036
The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc is fleshy and intense, as is the style of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and there is enough savory extract and shape in the wine to elevate it beyond the norm. Here, we have grass clippings and brine, green olive tapenade, passion fruit and pineapple husk. The acidity is saline, and all elements work together toward a common goal. I recall, in context, this wine looking a little sweeter and fleshier than some of its regional peers, and yet here today in isolation, it looks tight, textural and composed. It's very good indeed. Cloudy Bay is a member of the Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW). 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Published: Apr 23, 2026

Cloudy Bay is a Marlborough icon now owned by luxury goods firm LVMH. Almost three-quarters of Cloudy Bay’s 460-hectare production is dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc. It has grown exponentially but is still perceived to be a luxury, go-to wine, and people pay over the odds for it. That said, the 2023 silences its critics, delivering an elegant, fragrant style – exactly what you want from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc but with class. Interestingly, its maker notes that since 2020, thiols have dramatically increased, which has doubled in quantity, leading to greater aromatics. That said, the 2023 has an herbal lift that is a vintage characteristic. The barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc Te Koko has become more subtle in recent years, although keeping Marlborough's flamboyance in check will always be a challenge. In 2021, the Te Koko has huge intensity due to low yields, and its component parts will take some time to marry. While owned by a sparkling wine specialist, the non-vintage fizz is a good example, but it should be great. When it comes to Pinot Noir, red-lovers should seek out greater complexity elsewhere.

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand on the map with its captivating flavour. The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is enticing and appealing, with notes of honeydew melon, passionfruit, citrus and blackcurrant leaf.