2021 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Chardonnay from Cloudy Bay is ripe and round while retaining that classic Marlburian tow of fine acid persistence that gives a sense of relentlessly pulling the wine. It's pure and clean and there's no hair out of place; the oak-derived nutty vanilla flavors sit in the background, where they ought, with bright and perky nectarine and lemon citrus to the fore. It's all technically excellent but it doesn't move me. Perhaps I'm asking too much when I desire a wine with soul.
Critic scores
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Jancis Robinson MW
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Mostly Southern Valleys, key vineyard: Mustang. 2021 was frosted early and they lost a little Chardonnay too. Average flowering. Warm, early year. Quite dry autumn. All hand-picked. Lots of Mendoza clone. 22–23 °Brix. Whole-bunch pressed – mostly straight to barrel. Ambient-yeast ferment in large wooden tank. 15% new oak. 100% malo. Will be released February 2023. Excellent acidity and precision. Excellent texture. Still quite chewy and definitely ambitious. More Chablis style. Very youthful. (JR)