2018 Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Wild Sauvignon offers lanolin and wet garden rose, green apple, white pepper and brine. In the mouth, the wine is silky and long, with a lithe extension of tannic structure through the long finish. 2018 was a challenging vintage from a rain perspective; there was cyclonic activity in the region, and the rain came early in the harvest. As Sauvignon Blanc is one of the varieties harvested later in Marlborough, it was spared the difficulty brought on by the weather. The rain presented some disease pressure for the early varieties in this season, i.e., the Pinot Noirs. This is an excellent wine, measured by both vintage triumph and regional expression. It's sapid and piercing. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Tough vintage with two cyclones early on. A year of extremes and considerably warmer than average. Rich, pure citrus nose. A little bit stone-dusty and mineral. More green pea on the palate, less distinctive style than most of the Wild Sauvignons. And not as long as most, though there's a marked mid-palate intensity. Extremely pure. (JH)
Old French oak barrels. Edgy and much fresher on the nose than the regular 2020. It almost seems more youthful than the 2020! (JR)
If you want to be wild and do it with Sauvignon, I can't think of a better place to start. This cuvée undertakes a long, slow, indigenous fermentation in barrel and the result is a really smart, textural style. This is not a shy wine: it's funky with top notes of vivacious violets and a savory undertow of oatmeal. As much as two-thirds of this wine undergoes the malolactic conversion, so there's also a subtle creamy element on the fine but firm finish.