93pts Wine Spectator

Sleek, seamless and expressive, with notes of ruby grapefruit, Key lime, mango puree, salted and preserved lemon, and lemon basil, plus details of fresh sea salt, all on a mouthwatering frame. Shows plenty of intensity on the long, expressive finish.

92pts James Suckling

Consistently delicious with sliced-apple, gooseberry and lime character. Some grass too. Medium body, creamy texture and a fresh finish. Fortieth vintage of this wine.

90pts Vinous

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc has an addition to its label—the 40th vintage. Yes, it was 40 years since the first Cloudy Bay Sauvignon burst onto the scene. Now, it’s a much bigger operation covering more than 400 hectares, but it still maintains its exclusivity. This sweetly fruited expression offers all that juicy tropical flavor we've come to expect from Marlborough, with layers of green capsicum and elderflower coursing through its mid-palate. It is silky and balanced, with succulent flesh built through its core and a line of fresh, drawn-out acidity keeping this going on the medium-length finish.

Tasting Notes

Quite restrained on the nose and less tropical than previous vintages. It unfurls in the glass to reveal profound and attractive notes of citrus, lime leaf, apricot and orange blossom. The palate shows mouthwatering intensity, with subtle-but-juicy passionfruit notes melding with those of citrus, white stone fruit, makrut lime, pink peppercorn, hibiscus and pink grapefruit. Throughout, there is a freshening saline edge and a fresh-squeezed lemon acidity that carries a long, concentrated and complex finish.

Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a natural match for almost any seafood. Some of our favourites at the winery include tempura oysters, locally-caught sashimi, and steamed mussels with garlic, citrus and parsley. It’s also a great match for green salads and goats’ cheese. A hint from us: if it goes with lemon, it goes with Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaker's Notes

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand on the map with its captivating flavour. This, the 40th Vintage of our Sauvignon Blanc is mouthwateringly intense, revealing notes of makrut lime, hibiscus and pink grapefruit.

About the Wine

This year, we’re raising a glass to 40 years of Cloudy Bay—four decades that have helped shape Marlborough into the world-renowned wine region it is today. Since 1985, we’ve been setting the standard for quality and innovation, with our Sauvignon Blanc leading the charge and bringing the true essence of Marlborough to the world.
 
To mark this special milestone, we’ve released our 40th vintage Sauvignon Blanc, a true expression of the exceptional 2024 growing season.

Fruit from each vineyard ferments separately before blending, a critical step in maintaining Cloudy Bay’s famous consistency. Rather than blending to make more wine, the winemakers carefully select the right grapes (from over 90 batches) for each year’s wine. This means the quantity may change, but never the quality.

Our Sauvignon Blanc fruit comes largely from vineyards planted in Wairau Valley’s Rapaura, Renwick and Brancott Valley sub-regions. The area’s warm, dry maritime climate and free-draining gravelly soils are perfect for Sauvignon Blanc. Key blocks include the Estate, Motukawa, Widow's Block, Red Shed, and Mustang vineyards.