2018 BOTRYTIS PINOT GRIS. Greywacke. Marlborough, New Zealand (Half Bottle)

Pinot Gris is a close relative of Pinot Noir, so much so, its skin takes on a rusty colour (or gris/grigio/grey) when it ripens – hence its name. The grapes come from both the Brancott Valley with gravel, clay, loam soils, and Renwick on alluvial soils which contain a high proportion of the greywacke river stones! Both vineyards are about 20 years old.

100% Pinot Gris

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, one of Marlborough’s finest winemakers, who found well earned fame as chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay for 25 years. The name Greywacke refers to the rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyards, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough.

The effect of botrytis – or” noble rot” is to desiccate grapes almost to raisins. These require ongoing and selective pickings when harvesting; it was a strong botrytis year in 2018 in Marlborough by the way. They were whole bunch pressed using very long, low maceration press cycles. The juice was cold settled and then racked for fermentation; half of the juice was fermented with indigenous yeast in old French oak barriques the other in stainless steel tanks using cultured yeast. The fermentation was eventually stopped in September (some 5 months after it started!) retaining 130g/lt residual sugar – about the same level as a Sauternes to give you a reference point. The wine remained in barrel on lees for a further nine months prior to bottling in July 2019.

Serve well chilled – in “copita” shaped glasses. Enjoy now but will easily keep and age over the next 3-5 years. Will also keep well in the fridge for a week once opened, so you can sip it over time!