Cloudy Bay , 1998 Sauvignon Blanc Review

While New Zealand has been exporting wines for many years, much of the wine tasting community treated the wines with disdain until Cloudy Bay exploded onto the scene in the late 1980's.  In a very few years the wines from this vineyard achieved international success and it has become easier to find a needle in a haystack than a bottle of this wine. Almost 75 percent of the wine produced is destined for the international market before the grapes ever leave the vine.

The Bottle
I don't normally comment on, or pay much attention to the bottle, but the Cloudy Bay bottle design is very distinctive. The bottle color is a lighter green than usual and features gray neckware and a light colored label showing a scene in differing shades of gray that are supposed to depict the landscape around the Cloudy Bay area. I love the label...New Zealand is also know in Maori as Aotearoa - which loosely translated means ‘The land of the long white cloud'. It just all fits for me.

On to the Wine...
In the glass, the first smell was green apples - very fresh Granny Smith to be precise. Color was a clear straw and a good swirl allowed the scents to really expand. The initial green apples were accompanied by citrus (possibly kiwi?) and a hint of garden peas. The first taste was wonderful, with the flavors all blending beautifully.  There was a good amount of tartness too, with a good nip on the sides of the tongue.  The finish was clean and very long...beautiful!

Cost and Availability
I paid $17.99 for a 750ml bottle at a local wine shop. As mentioned above, Cloudy Bay wines are difficult to find, but well worth the hunt.

Recommendations
This wine is a superb wine!  I enjoyed it with smoked salmon and new potatoes cooked with onions and butter. I would highly recommend it with fish, all lighter meats and all but the heaviest sauces. It would stand by itself without question.

The Bottom Line
If I can find more, its heading to my cellar without hesitation.