Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2022

Marlborough, New Zealand

13.5%abv

TASTING NOTE 

A kaleidoscope of aromas, including lychee, mango and white floral, with herbal notes of tarragon and thyme. The succulent palate is equally intricate with gooseberry compote and tangelo meringue, melding with notes of linseed, lanolin and sandalwood. Bright acidity and a hint of saltiness provide perfect balance to the generous and textured finish. Greywacke Wild Sauvignon is a hands-off style of Marlborough sauvignon blanc, an untamed and singular expression of season and place.

VITICULTURE

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, with the balance on two- or three-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning).

WINEMAKING

Some vineyards were harvested by machine during cool (often cold) nighttime conditions and others by hand during the day. The grapes were lightly pressed to yield a modest volume of high-quality juice, which was then cold-settled prior to racking into French oak barriques, a small percentage of which were new. The juice was allowed to undergo spontaneous indigenous yeast fermentation, the tail end of which continued for well over six months. The wine had occasional lees stirring and approximately two-thirds underwent malolactic fermentation. It was transferred out of oak prior to the following harvest and left on yeast lees for a further six months. The wine was bottled in September 2023, with alcohol 13.5%, pH 3.24 and acidity 6.2 g/l.