Greywacke Wild Sauvignon

The 2020 vintage began with frost in early October which claimed some early vineyard sites. The rest of spring was fairly typical with abundant soil moisture levels, fruit set was good due to settled weather during flowering. Late December saw significant levels of rain, followed by four months that only yielded 43 mm, making it the driest period in nearly 80 years. In March temperatures cooled down, producing near perfect conditions for ripening grapes that retained amazing fruit intensity and acidity levels. The harvest started on 15th March, with New Zealand moving into Level 4 lockdown on 25th March in response to the global pandemic.

Some vineyards were harvested by machine during cool 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 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 five months, before being bottled in September 2021.

Flavours of a summer fruit salad of paw paw, honeydew melon and ripe, golden quinces – drizzled with citrus flower water and a squeeze of orange skin oil. A delicious floral fragrance and juicy tropical fruit, infused with a fennel-like herbal thread and a faint whiff of wood smoke. Fermented entirely with naturally occurring yeast, this is an alternative style of Sauvignon Blanc that is both intricate and textural, with a rich, succulent palate finishing crisp and long with a flinty dryness