Greywacke Chardonnay 2016
-
James
Suckling - Decanter
- Vinous
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
An enticing combination of pink grapefruit, burnt orange and white nectarine mingles with more savoury aromas of smoked almonds, hazelnut meringue and the heady fragrance of freshly cut hay. The mealy savouriness carries through onto a rich, textural palate, evidence of this wine’s low-intervention winemaking. An intricate bone-dry style that is highly concentrated with a distinct flintiness, tight structure and crisp citrussy finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This has cleverly curated aromas of peach and grapefruit with flinty, winemaking complexity and hazelnut-like oak notes. The palate has a smooth, supple and fresh core of ripe-peach and lemon-curd flavors. Concentrated. Drink now.
-
Decanter
This is fast becoming a benchmark Marlborough Chardonnay to counterpoint the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc. Grapes come from two clones planted on two distinctive soil types: gravel/clay loam and alluvial. The juice is fermented and aged for 18 months on the lees in oak barrels (20% new). A commanding nose of confected orchard fruit, then lovely palate weight where the delicate oak integration adds a classy richness. Brisk lime acidity leads to a mineral, almost saline finish.
-
Vinous
Rich and flavorsome, this is starting to open up and hit the early stages of its drinking window. Wild-fermented in barrel, of which 20% were new, this offers an array of intriguing aromas from white flower and talc, to flint and smoky bacon. A combination of two clones, Mendoza and 95, it boasts complex layers and an assertive, lengthy finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Struck flint and hints of sweet corn and toasted grain accent white peaches and ripe pineapple on the nose of the 2016 Chardonnay. It's medium to full-bodied but comes across as fresh and lively, with a crisp, mouthwatering finish.
-
Wine Spectator
There is a wonderful purity to the peach cobbler, marmalade, candied citrus peel and vanilla pudding flavors, with a fresh thread of acidity weaving in and out, and a spicy note of clove on the finish. Drink now. 150 cases imported.
Other Vintages
2015-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker
One of Marlborough’s pioneering winemakers, Kevin Judd’s appreciable career is intrinsically linked with the global path of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Kevin’s personal venture, Greywacke (pronounced “grey-wacky”), was unveiled in 2009, fulfilling a long-held dream for himself and wife Kimberley.
Named after New Zealand’s prolific bedrock, Greywacke was originally adopted as the name of the Judds’ first vineyard in Rapaura, whose soils had an abundance of these river stones. Now living in the Omaka Valley overlooking Marlborough’s striking patchwork of vines, Kevin sources fruit from mature vineyards in the central Wairau Plains and the Southern Valleys.
Alongside winemaking, Kevin’s talent for photography has seen his evocative images appear in countless publications worldwide, and inevitably, take pride of place on the labels of his solo winemaking venture –– the synthesis of his dual passions.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.