Greywacke Marlborough Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Greywacke Marlborough Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2021Dry style Barrel fermented Caramelised lemon Toasted fennel Textural "Intense bouquet with spicy and balsamic notes pointing towards wild fermentation, quite 'out there'but also recognisably Sauvignon Blancwhile the palate is rich and refined at the same moment, rounded and ample with seamless acidity and a clean, dry but soft, resonating aftertaste that rolls on and on. A hint of sweetness mid palate is nicely balanced at the finish, where there's a

• Dry style
• Barrel-fermented
• Caramelised lemon
• Toasted fennel
• Textural

"Intense bouquet with spicy and balsamic notes pointing towards wild fermentation, quite 'out there'—but also recognisably Sauvignon Blanc—while the palate is rich and refined at the same moment, rounded and ample with seamless acidity and a clean, dry but soft, resonating aftertaste that rolls on and on. A hint of sweetness mid-palate is nicely balanced at the finish, where there's a touch of alcohol warmth. A superb example of the variety, produced with inventive winemaking" Huon Hooke, Real Review, Jan 2023

"Sophisticated, complex barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. It is easy to see why this label has attracted a cult following—it is different, distinctive and very appealing. Impressively textural wine that retains its varietal identity while offering so much more than simple fruit flavours" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Dec 2022

Picture a shortcrust pie, loaded with quince and yellow apple, a layer of juicy gooseberries and topped with caramelised lemon slices. Served witha good dollop of vanilla custard and sprinkled with lightly toasted fennel seeds. Complex and textural, Greywacke Wild Sauvignon is a feast for the sense. Fermemnted with ild yeast, it's a hands-off style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with a succulent palate that finishes crisp and long.

Fruit was sourced from various sites in the 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 management system, with the balance on two or three cane VSP.

Some vineyards were harvested by machine during cool (often cold) night time 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 harvesr and left on yeast lees for a further six months. The wine was bottled in September 2022 with alc 14%, pH 3.19 and acidity 6.1g/l.