Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – Probably New Zealand’s most iconic premium Sauvignon Blanc, made by Kevin Judd, formerly of Cloudy Bay fame.
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.
The fruit was harvested largely by machine during cool, often cold, night-time conditions, with picking carried out over a threeweek period from 24th March at relatively high sugar levels. Grapes were transported directly to the winery in the Omaka Valley and lightly pressed to obtain a modest yield of high-quality juice. After cold settling and racking, fermentation was conducted primarily in stainless steel tanks using cultured yeasts.
Individual vineyard parcels were retained on lees until late May, when the final blend was assembled.
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’.
The 2025 harvest in Marlborough surprised many. After a warm, wet spring that delivered early budburst and healthy canopies, the season turned into one of the driest on record. It was an exceptionally settled and near perfect flowering for Sauvignon Blanc. An El Nino driven warm, sunny summer with warm nights accelerated ripening while keeping disease pressure low. Early, targeted work in the vineyard was necessary to balance yields
and ensure concentration and quality, resulting in wines of outstanding quality. The Sauvignon Blanc harvest started on 24th March and progressed steadily into April. Forecasts of heavy rain in early April fortunately didn’t materialise, allowing a large portion of the harvest to hang, achieving superb ripeness levels. It was an excellent, if drawn-out, abundant harvest that was notably warmer than average.
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Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
£22.00 a bottle
12 in stock
Greywacke (pronounced Greywacky) is the Marlborough label of the Judd family and the name of New Zealand’s
most abundant bedrock. These understated grey river stones are found throughout Marlborough’s rivers and
alluvial vineyard soils. Established in 2009, Greywacke is truly a family affair and while the company now exports its
wines all over the world, the ethos is very much ‘keep it simple and hands-on’ with a small, dedicated team running
the company from Greywacke HQ in the heart of Marlborough’s Omaka Valley. The fruit is sourced from mature
vineyards in prime viticultural sites to optimise the potential afforded by Marlborough’s sunny South Pacific climate.
All vineyards are sustainably managed with substantial and increasing proportions coming from organically farmed
sites. Crop levels are restricted to enhance concentration of flavour and a long, cool growing season produces fruit
with incredible varietal intensity and bright, natural acidity. Meticulous canopy management regimes are employed
to provide sufficient fruit exposure to deliver ripeness of flavour, textural richness and optimum acid balance.
Greywacke is accredited with AMW status (Appellation Marlborough Wine), ensuring provenance, authenticity
and integrity
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