在Seagram拥有的蒙大拿州早期，我有幸品尝了其马尔堡长相思葡萄酒的众多产品线，这一系列可以追溯到1979年和1980年生产的首批年份。尽管蒙大拿州是1975年第一个种植长相思并于1973年在马尔堡购买了约1620公顷土地的生产商之一，但马尔堡其他早期投资者的之一则是大卫霍南，他于1985年建立了云湾酒厂，使其成为当地前五家酒厂之一。Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc迅速成为了新西兰知名葡萄酒风格。Cloudy Bay刚刚推出了2022年的长相思葡萄酒，近月初，本月收获以来的现任酿酒师Daniel Sorrell也与他一起选购了一些旧瓶长相思，以供交易者品鉴。这部分旨在与新的2022年度进行对比，并观察葡萄酒随着时间演变，同时证明，与许多人预期不同，新西兰长相思确实能以令人振奋的方式陈酿。
最近，在Cloudy Bay所有库存中的每一瓶都被重新装瓶，只保留那些他满意的样本，Sorrell选择了他认为特别适合陈酿的几个特定年份——2003、2006和2019。在这些“最温暖和最早收获”的岁月里，他热衷于强调Cloudy Bay今天不是马尔堡“较大的”生产商之一，而自从（David）Hohnen在80年代中叶最初购买土地以来，它就没有扩张过农田。此外，他们产量低于该地区许多酿造企业。
“We in Marlborough do things differently from others,” Sorrell said. “We're small, and we only have vineyards in the Wairau Valley.” These vineyards are located on ancient riverbeds, with free-draining alluvial soils. They strive to make every hectare yield more than 12 tons of grapes. "We like to pick early but we're looking for material and aromatics," he said. "There's more substance in the glass compared to many other producers."
Despite Cloudy Bay selling out its wines each year, Sorrel believes this approach is crucial for maintaining the brand's image. In a good year like 2021, only 4-5% of grapes didn't meet standards, but in 2022, that figure was 25%. In 2017, it was as high as almost 30%.
"This has been a very wet year," Sorrel continued. "The humidity is usually high and there can be a big harvest after flowering." The company performed extensive pruning between rows to create the best balance among grapevines.
Partly because of this, they could harvest earlier since fruits ripened faster — which was important this year when they managed to pick most before rain set in; they lost fruit from only one vineyard if needed.
"If necessary," he said with a smile at their new third harvester making everything easier.
"Everything is close to the winery so we can get the grapes there quickly." This challenging harvest proved that adversity often brings about the best results. In these harder times, they truly saw their vineyards' strength and importance — despite harsh weather conditions yet perfect fruit quality.
Historically experiencing unfavorable weather after harvesting ended sooner than usual lately — based on taste rather than quantity while selecting; seeking those with citrus notes of orange or lemon zest along with saltiness and pepper nuances together with excellent acidity core without tropical flavors such as pineapple due not wanting these wines will deteriorate quickly by themselves instead preferring elegant wine styles for longer-lasting appeal while preserving freshness within each bottle through careful craftsmanship under Daniel’s guidance ensuring consistent excellence across generations producing an exceptional journey unfolding through every sip taken from Cloudy Bay’s finest creations forever remembered & cherished by connoisseurs worldwide sharing tales of extraordinary moments celebrated over time now preserved eternally within our treasured memories – stories passed down through generations creating timeless legacies left behind leaving lasting impressions beyond any mortal grasp never fading away until end times come & go alike – thus begins another chapter filled hope eternal promise renewal rebirth rejuvenation rekindling spirits once again awakening long forgotten dreams envisioning futures untold yet unfolding evermore gradually shaping destinies anew forging bonds unbreakable hearts united as one spirit shared among countless souls throughout eternity boundless love enduring unity infinite peace everlasting joy forever reign supreme
