Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024 is a layered Marlborough chardonnay, blended from Wairau Valley and Southern Valleys vineyards by Cloudy Bay, whose Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand wine on the map. Expect warm meyer lemon, apricot and fresh cut apples. This is a lovely wine for anyone who likes polished, gently oaked chardonnays, and a great match for seafood.
In the glass it first reveals ripe citrus, white stone fruit and warm croissants, opening up with time and some gentle swirling.
This is a wine for those of us who enjoy a rich chardonnay that stays fresh. A good weekend wine.
The key vineyards are Mustang, Brookby, Barracks, Widows and the Cloudy Bay Estate, planted with five different chardonnay clones.
What it tastes like
This wine has a beautiful, mouth-filling texture. The oak is present but subtle, adding a gentle vanilla and sugared pastry note that frames the fruit. The finish is long and fresh, with just a hint of apple skin. Cloudy Bay call it a chardonnay for connoisseurs.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Fresh
- Oak: French barriques (20% new) and new oak cuves for 11 months, adding vanilla and sugared pastry notes
- Style: Layered, gently oaked Marlborough chardonnay
Food to enjoy this with
- Seafood in a cream sauce
- Caprese salad
- Soft cows' milk cheeses such as brie
- Smoked salmon
- Chargrilled chicken with lemon
- Roast pork with apple sauce: the wine's fresh cut apple notes mirror the sauce
Who makes it
In 1983 David Hohnen tasted his first Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. He and winemaker Kevin Judd, who went on to found Greywacke, launched Cloudy Bay in 1985 to international acclaim. Cloudy Bay is a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, and its yields are around 30% lower than the regional average.
In Marlborough, Cloudy Bay farm 163 parcels of vines and 65 grower blocks. The chardonnay comes from a combination of vineyards chosen for their complementary soils: the warm, gravelly soils of the Wairau Valley and the cooler clay soils of the Southern Valleys, which together give a balance of ripeness and elegance.
For the 2024 vintage, the grapes were gently pressed, and the juice was settled and racked into French oak barriques (20% new) and new 6,000-litre oak cuves. After fermentation the wine rested in barrel and cuve for 11 months before blending. All of it went through malolactic fermentation, a natural process that softens the wine's acidity and adds creaminess.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Cloudy Bay |
| Wine: |
Chardonnay |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
100% Chardonnay |
| Region: |
Wairau Valley and Southern Valleys, Marlborough |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
13.5% |
| Oak: |
11 months in French oak barriques (20% new) and new oak cuves |
| Fermentation: |
Barrel and cuve fermented, 100% malolactic |
| Serving temperature: |
10–12°C |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Cloudy Bay Chardonnay oaked?
Yes. The 2024 was fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak barriques, 20% of them new, and new 6,000-litre oak cuves.
Does Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024 go through malolactic fermentation?
Yes. All of the 2024 went through malolactic fermentation, which softens the acidity and adds a creamy texture.
Where do the grapes for Cloudy Bay Chardonnay come from?
From Marlborough's Wairau Valley and Southern Valleys, with Mustang, Brookby, Barracks, Widows and the Cloudy Bay Estate as the key vineyards.
What temperature should I serve Cloudy Bay Chardonnay at?
Cloudy Bay recommend serving it at 10 to 12°C.
What food goes with Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024?
Cloudy Bay suggest seafood and other bright or creamy flavours, such as Caprese salad, soft cows' milk cheeses, cream sauces, or anything smoked or chargrilled.
Where can I buy Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024?
The Winery ships Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2024 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
