The 2005 Pelorus Vintage is composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with some of the base wine receiving wild yeast fermentation in large format oak. It also has 6-7 grams per liter of dosage. With a moderately pronounced brioche and toasted almond character, it has a pleasant undercurrent of honeysuckle and fresh peaches plus a whiff of under-ripe strawberries. Crisp and tense in the mouth with some very fine bubbles, there’s some pleasant oatmeal and cream notes in the long finish. Drinking now it should remain fresh to 2014+. I generally agree with Neal Martin’s previous comment about some of Cloudy Bay’s wines produced over the last couple of vintages perhaps being “a notch behind other Marlborough producers”. However, I did find some very good wines to recommend during my recent visit. Trust me, my visit was not typically befitting of the fanfare laid-on by a Champagne House with the soft light, foie gras canapes and gentle tinkle of classical music playing in the background. White winemaker Tim Heath and I stood tasting in a stoically sterile white tasting room and deconstructed his recent work over the course of just an hour or so. I’ll cut to the chase and state that in the cold, hard, clinical light of that tasting room, I think that Tim is making some very positive moves towards filling some very big shoes.Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 888-7575