Tasting Notes

Te Koko 2023 is initially reticent on the nose, but with time in the glass opens to reveal notes of just-ripe mango, lemon verbena and juicy sun-warmed lemon. The palate is concentrated and mouthwateringly complex. The sun-warmed impression continues, with notes of meadow hay, preserved citrus, and white nectarine, with layers of salted almond and a gentle smoky minerality leading through to a long and focused finish.

Te Koko welcomes exploration, and provides unexpected and provocative pairings with a wide range of cuisine. Try it with Chinese-style crispy pork belly, vibrant spicy dishes or smoked salmon.

About the Wine

With the release of Te Koko 2023, our barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc makes a bold return. An anticipated wine, crafted with care and patience, it is textural, complex and beautifully expressive.

Te Koko ferments in French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts, gaining complexity over four to five months under the watchful eye of our winemaking team. The wine then rests in barrel on fine lees for 15 months before blending and maturation in Cloudy Bay’s cellars.

Te Koko comes from our older vines planted on the floor of the Wairau Valley. The warm, free-draining gravelly soils of the Motukawa, Widow's Block, Estate and Brook Street vineyards are ideal for Sauvignon Blanc.