Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2005

I had this wine at the Capital, and it's excellent. Very good balance, oddly refreshing despite the nourishing flavours, smooth with a little acidity coming through. Of course the price matches - it's from the famous Cloudy Bay winery, which almost single-handedly popularised New Zealand wine in the UK.

The wine was a match for the food at the Capital, but I think it should be drunk alone, perhaps on a summer day, with the aroma of flower blossom in the air. It's hard to find - certainly not to be had on any of the usual websites for love or money. In general Cloudy Bay, red or white, tends to sell out very quickly.

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2005
Red wine
New Zealand (Marlborough)
Pinot Noir

Nose: Oak, plums, gamey flavours, pear, leather. Reminds me of an oak panelled room with leather sofas.
Mouthfeel: Velvety and smooth, a little watery.
Tasting: Sweet and spicy. Pepper, oak, leather, cedar wood, black cherries. Hints of mint and incense.

The Cloudy Bay winery was established in 1985 by Cape Mentelle Vineyards, an Australian company. The vineyards span 200 hectares in the Wairau Valley, near Rapaura on the northeast of New Zealand's South Island. The chief winemaker is Kevin Judd.

Cloudy Bay is more well known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which is supposed to be fruity and rounded, the Merlot of white wines. I've never tasted it, so I couldn't say for sure. In addition to the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir described here, they also make Pelorus (a sparkling wine), a Riesling made from botrytic grapes, Te Koko (another Sauvignon Blanc expression) and a Chardonnay.

Here is an account of how the Pinot Noir 2005 was made.