GREYWACKE by Kevin Judd Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019/20 Bottle/st - VGN (los)

Description

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.

VINEYARDS: All fruit was grown in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys and principally sourced from the Yarrum Vineyard, situated on the Brancott/Ben Morven ridge. Typical of this sub-region, the wind-blown loess soils are comprised of clay-loams with differing degrees of gravel content. The various source blocks are cultivated to a mixture of pinot noir clones, predominantly the Dijon clones 115, 777 and 667, with smaller parcels of UCD5 and AM 10/5. The vineyards are primarily hillside plantings trained to two-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) with a high vine density of 3800 plants per hectare.

VINTAGE: A relatively wet and mild spring ensured soil moisture levels were well topped up and the growing season raced off to a frost-free start. Late spring was ideal, with intermittent rain creating perfect growing conditions, but cool periods during December resulted in variable fruit set. The new year brought sunny, settled weather and the district received no significant rainfall for the first two months. In typical Marlborough fashion, the hills to the south became parched and the very dry conditions necessitated careful management of water resources. The drought was partially quenched by a brief period of rain in early March just after harvest had commenced, evoking considerable anxiety, but thankfully being followed by more settled weather. The harvest ran smoothly with all varieties reaching optimum ripeness, albeit slightly lower yields than expected. In all, an excellent, very dry season that has provided superb quality and the young wines show great concentration and promise.

VINIFICATION: A relatively wet and mild spring ensured soil moisture levels were well topped up and the growing season raced off to a frost-free start. Late spring was ideal, with intermittent rain creating perfect growing conditions, but cool periods during December resulted in variable fruit set. The new year brought sunny, settled weather and the district received no significant rainfall for the first two months. In typical Marlborough fashion, the hills to the south became parched and the very dry conditions necessitated careful management of water resources. The drought was partially quenched by a brief period of rain in early March just after harvest had commenced, evoking considerable anxiety, but thankfully being followed by more settled weather. The harvest ran smoothly with all varieties reaching optimum ripeness, albeit slightly lower yields than expected. In all, an excellent, very dry season that has provided superb quality and the young wines show great concentration and promise.

TASTING: Imagine a black forest cake, chock-full of juicy cherries and Black Doris plums; served up with a generous dollop of blueberry compote, laced with nutmeg and cloves. This is a deeply coloured Pinot, exuding lush, ripe fruit – highly fragrant with a cedar-like spiciness and hints of hot-smoked nuts. The palate is dense and generous with rich fruit, fine tannins and a delicious spicy finish.