"Deeply coloured and exhibiting sweet and savoury aromatics displaying aromas of pumpernickel, bramble berries and the soft scent of lilac. The palate is bright and complex with notes of tamarillo, wild cherry and grilled nectarine flavours, underpinned by fine tannins and a long, driven finish."
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, which had the team monitoring temperatures and directing frost-fighting efforts. Minimal damage was sustained, but the intermittent cold nights continued well into spring, disrupting flowering and causing low berry numbers in some varieties. As summer progressed, El Niño settled into its signature warm, dry conditions, and Marlborough recorded a record high of 34.9 C in early February with very few rain episodes, to the point A drought was declared in mid-March. The harvest for Pinot Noir commenced on the last day of February. Despite the weather challenges, this was a superb, near-perfect harvest of pristine fruit with a generous depth of flavour across all varieties. Growing degree days tallied 1348, slightly warmer than the long term average.
The grapes were hand-harvested and chilled overnight prior to hand-sorting. Most of the fruit was then destemmed into open-top fermenters, the majority of which also had a percentage of wholebunch inclusion. The fruit was left to soak on skins prior to the onset of indigenous yeast fermentation, then plunged daily. After fermentation, the wine was pressed, racked and filled into French oak barriques (30% new). Individual clones were barrel-aged separately for 11 months, before blending in January 2024. The wine was bottled in June 2024.
