Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. 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 of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand’s finest wine photographer and has recently published a book ‘The Landscape of New Zealand Wine’.
Fruit for the 2024 vintage was sourced from several prime vineyard sites in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains (specifically Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura). Soil types vary from the young alluvial soils of Rapaura and Renwick, 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 a two- or three-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis, with the balance on the divided Scott Henry canopy management system.
Harvested largely by machine during cool (often cold) night-time conditions, the fruit was picked earlier than normal at high sugar levels over a 3-week period, commencing 16 March. Transported directly to our winery in the Omaka Valley, fruit was lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice. The juice was cold-settled and racked prior to fermentation, which was primarily carried out in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeast. All individual vineyard batches were left on lees until late June, when the blend was assembled. The wine was bottled in early August with alcohol 13.5%, pH 3.17 and acidity 6.9 g/l.
The Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc is deliciously aromatic with scents of honeydew melon and orange blossom, delicately infused with herb garden botanicals. A bright, seasonal expression, with juicy lemon and steely cassis flavours and a generously textured palate garnished with a flourish of pastis and wildflowers. A wine with impressive structure and depth, this is Marlborough sauvignon blanc with the volume turned down a notch.
