Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc Archive Release 2016

Greywacke was founded in 2009 by Kevin Judd, the founding chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay, where he spent 25 years shaping the wine that brought international attention to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Greywacke represents Judd’s personal vision for the region, focusing on site expression, texture, and restraint rather than the overtly tropical style of his former role. Today, the vineyards are sustainably managed, with a growing proportion farmed organically, and wild (indigenous) yeast fermentations are widely used to add savoury complexity and build structure and mouthfeel.

The name Greywacke comes from the rounded greywacke river stones found in the soils of Judd’s first Marlborough vineyard in Rapaura, a sedimentary rock common throughout the region. Greywacke now works with carefully selected vineyard parcels across Marlborough, producing wines of clarity and balance. Alongside his winemaking, Judd is also one of New Zealand’s most respected wine photographers and the author of The Landscape of New Zealand Wine, reflecting his long-standing connection to Marlborough and its vineyards.

Archive Release: Each year Greywacke put aside a limited quantity of their wines for re-release as mature, bottle-aged wines.

Fruit was sourced from various vineyard sites in the Southern Valleys and the central Wairau Plains, specifically in Woodbourne, Renwick and Rapaura. Soil types vary from the young alluvial deposits of Rapaura and Renwick, which contain high proportions of greywacke river stones, to the older and denser clay-loams of the Southern Valleys. A high percentage of the vineyards were trained using the divided Scott Henry canopy management system.

Some vineyards were machine harvested during cool night-time conditions, and others by hand during the day. The grapes were lightly pressed and the juice cold-settled prior to racking into French oak barriques, a small percentage of which were new. The juice underwent spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation with occasional lees stirring. Approximately two-thirds underwent malolactic fermentation. It was transferred out of oak prior to the following harvest and left on lees for a further six months. Bottling took place in September 2024.

Weather: The 2016 season started on time, with settled December weather producing a generous crop. Very low early-summer rainfall stressed water supplies, but January rain ended the drought and warmer-than-average temperatures helped vineyards flourish. Thinning across all varieties ensured ideal crop levels.

Harvest began mid-March, with hillside pinot noir reaching perfect ripeness at slightly lower sugars than previous years. Late-March rain created pressure and required remedial canopy and crop management, but sustained warmth and Marlborough’s Indian summer allowed full ripeness. The last sauvignon blanc was hand-picked on April 18 under sunny skies.

Technical Information:
Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Sub Region: Marlborough
Bottled: September 2017
TA: 6.2 g/l
pH: 3.2.
Alcohol: 14%
Drink: Now to 2035+

Tasting Note: The nose is defined by aromas of rock melon, ginger, lime zest and toasted coconut Lemon curd and tangelo flavours provide a juicy foundation to the expansive, full-flavoured palate. Lush and textural in style, the generous fruit is balanced vibrant acidity and chalky oyster shell notes.