A vibrant combination of fresh basil and spicy tomato leaves, tossed with tangy nashi pear and mandarin, sprinkled with a little lemon zest. A highly perfumed wine with blossom-like floral aromas and a subtle flintiness that alludes to an underlying core of minerality. A mouth-watering, refreshing style with a deliciously crisp, yet luscious finish.
The Greywacke portfolio is primarily based on two varieties, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, the sauvignon blanc being produced in two distinctly different styles. In addition to this core range of three wines, there are also limited edition releases of chardonnay, and three aromatic varieties – pinot gris, riesling and gewurztraminer.
Awards and Accolades
91 Points - James Button, Decanter Magazine "One of the most sought after Marlborough Sauvignons, demand must follow owner Kevin Judd around – he was chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay for 25 years before deciding to go things alone. Intriguing fenugreek seed and bacon fat aromas evolve into elderflower and citrus. On the palate, intense gooseberry and fenugreek dominate, with elderflower and honeysuckle providing some richness, followed up by slight mineral notes. Although vibrant, the acidity is kep in check, making this a well balanced wine."
From the Winery
Fruit was sourced from various prime vineyard sites in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys, the central Wairau Plains (specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura) and a spectacular river terrace site in the upper Awatere Valley. Soil types vary from the young alluvial soils of Rapaura, Renwick and the upper Awatere, which contain high proportions of New Zealand’s ubiquitous greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. The majority of the vineyards were trained using the divided Scott Henry canopy management system, with the balance on a two- or three-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis.
Harvested largely by machine during cool (often cold) night-time conditions, the sauvignon blanc grapes were picked into half-tonne bins, which were tipped directly into the tank press and lightly pressed. The resulting juice was cold-settled prior to fermentation in stainless steel, primarily using cultured yeast for cool, slow fermentation. A portion was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation using slightly warmer temperature regimes. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees and kept separate until late July, when the blend was assembled.
The wine was bottled in mid-August with an alcohol of 13.5%, pH 3.05 and acidity 6.7 g/l.
