2011 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

SKU #1077090 91 points Wine Spectator

*Smart Buy* Focused and pure, a terrific, tangy expression of balanced lemon, white peach, tangerine, passion fruit, melon and green tea notes. This is powerful in its persistence and juiciness, yet maintains an air of elegance. Drink now. (12/ 2011)

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc offers intense notes of gooseberries, passion fruit, grapefruit zest and grass with a hint of fresh herbs. Crisp, dry and medium bodied with a good concentration of grapefruit and herb flavors, it gives a long tropical fruit laced finish. Delicious now, it should remain fresh through 2013. (10/ 2011)

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Green-tinged yellow. Good dusty, spicy lift to the ripe, inviting aromas of orange pith, grapefruit and minerals. Broad, supple and ripe, with harmonious acidity giving shape to the sexy soft citrus, tropical fruit and dusty herb flavors. Easygoing for this bottling, conveying very good but not outstanding grip. Finishes pure and persistent, with a slight narrowing at the end. (9/ 2012)

90 points Wine Enthusiast

This Marlborough classic remains on form, artfully blending pineapple and crushed tomato leaf notes. If it’s a bit leaner than some examples from the region, it’s also more elegant and refined; less explosive and flamboyant, but tighter and more focused. (8/ 2012)

K&L Notes

Sourced from a combination of estate and grower vineyards Rapaura and Renwick subdistricts of the Wairau Valley (alluvial stony soils) as well as the Fairhall, and Brancott subdistricts (aged alluvial loam and clay soils) and fermented in 100% stainless steel, this is classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at its best: clean, crisp, and refreshing, with a Sancerre-like complexity in the nose and elegant structure. It makes a great partner to oysters in the half shell and would complement the tart, tangy, and herbal flavors and texture of an herbed goat cheese salad.