Greywacke is the personal project of Kevin Judd, one of New Zealand’s most quietly influential winemakers and the founding winemaker behind Cloudy Bay. Established in 2009, Greywacke (named after the stony, ancient rock that underpins Marlborough’s soils) is a reflection of Judd’s deep knowledge of the region, his love of texture, and his pursuit of wines that speak with both radiance and calm precision.

Fruit is sourced from a close circle of growers in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys and Wairau Plains, focusing on sites with mature vines, complex soils, and naturally low yields. These vineyards — many dry-farmed and sustainably managed — deliver fruit with concentration, natural acidity, and a quietly expressive sense of place. Judd works closely with growers, selecting specific parcels that reflect Marlborough’s diversity beyond volume-driven expression.

In the winery, Judd’s approach is thoughtful and measured. Sauvignon Blanc, the flagship, is produced in two forms: a classic style fermented in stainless steel with extended lees contact for breadth and length, and ‘Wild Sauvignon’, fermented with native yeasts in old oak barrels for complexity, savouriness, and surprising depth. Pinot Noir is gently extracted and aged in French oak, with a focus on red fruit purity and silken tannin. Chardonnay is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in barrel with full malolactic and extended lees ageing, offering shape and salinity. Small volumes of Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Botrytis selections round out the portfolio.

The wines are structured and expressive. Sauvignon Blanc is citrus-driven with notes of elderflower, subtle tropicals, and a long, mineral edge. Wild Sauvignon brings flint, grapefruit peel, and smoky, savoury undertones — poised and cerebral. Pinot Noir is elegant and fine-grained, with cherry, spice, and earthy detail. Chardonnay shows white peach, toasted hazelnut, and struck match — layered and quietly textural. Across the range, the wines carry the signature of restraint, texture, and Judd’s unflinching eye for balance.

What defines Greywacke is not just craft, but observation — a producer led by quiet clarity, crafting wines that reflect a region through nuance, not noise.

These are wines that feel sketched in stone and light — focused, textural, and shaped by the steady hand of someone who’s seen it all, and still listens.

Would you like a version focused on Wild Sauvignon comparisons or tailored for single-vineyard Marlborough white showcases?

Here is a brand summary for Greystone Wines, composed in your signature tone — poised, mineral, and structured around identity → process → experience → philosophy, with a closing that reflects elevation, intuition, and the quiet brilliance of limestone and light:

Greystone is a pioneering North Canterbury estate where organic viticulture, wild ferments, and limestone soils converge to create wines of precision, purity, and calm energy. Located on the limestone-rich slopes of the Waipara Valley’s Omihi Hills, Greystone is a place-driven project founded in 2004 with a singular focus: to craft wines that articulate the natural textures and tension of their site with minimal interference and maximum clarity.

The vineyards rise up to 160 metres above sea level on rolling north-facing slopes, planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah. The soils are complex: layers of calcareous clay and ancient limestone, offering both structure and salinity. Farming is certified organic, with a strong emphasis on biodiversity, soil vitality, and regenerative methods. Each block is harvested by hand and vinified separately to preserve nuance.

Greystone is known for its innovative wild ferment Pinot Noir, spontaneously fermented in the vineyard itself — a method that captures ambient yeast and site energy in a direct and unfiltered way. Across all varieties, winemaking is natural, intuitive, and focused on texture. Fermentations are wild, sulphur is used sparingly, and oak is always supportive, never dominant. Fermentation vessels range from oak barrels to clay amphorae, depending on the varietal and the vintage’s arc.

The wines are quietly expressive and deeply textural. Pinot Noir is the estate’s centrepiece — floral, mineral, and savoury, with red berry, forest floor, and crushed stone tension. Chardonnay is saline and coiled, with white peach, almond, and flinty drive. Riesling and Pinot Gris show detail and grip, while Syrah, from the limestone slopes, is peppery, lifted, and rare. Every cuvée carries a line of clarity — wines shaped not by style, but by the breath of place and the rhythm of the season.

What defines Greystone is its stillness and trust — a belief that the land knows more than the winemaker, and that restraint reveals more than control.

These are wines that echo the quiet depth of limestone — expressive, structural, and tuned to the subtle frequencies of North Canterbury’s hills and sky.