Greywacke Chardonnay

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.

A seductive combination of mandarin and pink grapefruit mingles with the more savoury aromas of roasted nuts, freshly baked almond cookies and a whiff of smoky minerality. The savouriness carries through onto a rich, textural palate, evidence of this wine’s low-intervention genesis. It displays concentration and power, a core of citrusy fruit and a crisp, persistent finish.