2005 Cloudy Bay Vineyards Chardonnay Marlborough

Cloudy Bay has been New Zealand's most famous source of Sauvignon Blanc since the late 1980s, even if the competition is stiffer now. One prominent critic back then likened tasting Cloudy Bay to "having sex for the first time." We won't go that far, but in cool years, Cloudy Bay's rather uncompromising wine can be distinctly peppery and herbaceous, but in a varietally accurate way.  New winemaker Nick Blampied-Lanealso turns out some of New Zealand's best sparkling wine, called Pelorus. There's also a dependable Chardonnay and an improving Pinot Noir.

Cloudy Bay has been New Zealand's most famous source of Sauvignon Blanc since the late 1980s, even if the competition is stiffer now. One prominent critic back then likened tasting Cloudy Bay to "having sex for the first time." We won't go that far, but in cool years, Cloudy Bay's... more