"Deliciously aromatic with scents of honeydew melon and orange blossom, delicately infused with herb botanicals. A bright expression of Sauvignon Blanc, with juicy lemon and steely cassis flavours and a generously textured palate garnished with a flourish of pastis and wildflowers. It is a wine with impressive structure and depth."
Greywacke is the exciting solo venture of Kevin Judd, who was formerly the chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay for 25 vintages, and was instrumental in the international recognition which New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc enjoys today. The name ‘Greywacke’ was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils there.
The debut wine under the Greywacke label was the 2009 vintage with his Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc displaying the hallmarks of Kevin’s famed style: ripe fruit, fine balance, great concentration and superb varietal intensity. Grapes come from prime, low yielding vineyard sites in and around Marlborough’s Southern (Brancott and Ben Morven) Valleys, and are vinified using ‘non-interventionist’ techniques. His range also includes a Wild Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
A relatively dry winter was followed by unsettled spring conditions, including isolated frosts. Minimal damage was sustained, but the intermittent cold nights continued well into spring, disrupting flowering and causing low berry numbers and millerandage (uneven berry size) in some varieties. As summer progressed, El Niño brought its signature warm, dry conditions. Extremely low rainfall was recorded throughout the summer, to the point of a drought being declared in mid-March. Bunch numbers were low across the region from the outset and the hot, dry summer condensed berry size, so reduced yields were inevitable. Fortunately the loose bunches reduced disease risk and resulted in immaculately clean, ripe fruit. Sauvignon Blanc ripeness levels were excellent across all sites. Cooler nights in February stretched out the ripening and led to wonderfully crisp acidity. 2024 saw pristine fruit with generous depth of flavour.
