New Zealand is a fascinating land, where nature, the sea and a climate that is just the right amount of gloomy, allow wine producers to achieve great results. Unfortunately in small numbers, though. Cloudy Bay is probably the best known company in New Zealand. Its Pinot Noir vineyards are located south of the Wairau Valley, where the soil is clayey and graveled. The harvest takes place between the end of March and the beginning of April. The carefully selected grapes are quickly transported to the winery for processing. Part of the grapes are destemmed and part are sent to maceration still with their stalks. This particular technique has been perfected over the years and has the advantage of allowing a greater extraction of tannins from the grapes. After vinification, the wine rests for about a year in French oak barrels, only partly new. The result is a wine characterized by an intense ruby red colour. On the nose notes of red fruits, violets and sweet spices. In the mouth, however, it shows a good structure and a pleasant softness. It's hard to imagine a more elegant and satisfying new world Pinot Noir.