The 2003 Riesling is a wild ferment, a lovely floral nose with apple, passion fruit and a touch of lychee with good definition and lift. The palate is well-balanced with good acidity, a touch of apple, peach and apricot towards the finish. A feminine Riesling, very focused and elegant on the petrol-tinged finish. Excellent. Cloudy Bay needs no introduction: unquestionably the winery that put New Zealand on the international map and presciently understood the aesthetic appeal of an emotive label. Now part of the LVMH portfolio, the winery is a magnet for visitors to Marlborough. They farm around 200 hectares of vines in the Wairau Valley, Renwick and Omaka Valleys augmented by five grape-growers under long-term contracts. Of course historical significance bears nothing upon my evaluation and whilst there is nothing particularly wrong with Cloudy Bay’s range, they lacked the thrills and perhaps the soul of other New Zealand wines that I encountered, as if the wines err on the side of caution in order not to imperil its worldwide reputation. In essence, I would like to see less of “Cloudy Bay” the brand and more of Kevin Judd, the talented winemaker.Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200