2011 Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Wild Sauvignon carries the same saffron spice that all of these wines do, and here it is accompanied by white-flesh stone fruit, Golden Delicious apple, nashi pear and a caper brine lilt to the acidity, with hay and pressed linen, beeswax and talc. At 14 years from harvest, the wine teeters on the brink of suggesting tertiary characters, indicating that this is about the halfway mark in its evolution. From here, the wine will develop more autumnal characters, but for now, we are afforded a glance in both directions: forwards, to where it will eventually land, and backwards, from whence it came. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
A very good vintage and a little warmer than average. Very different from the 2012 with more of the tropical fruit of 2009. Some sweetness of fruit on the finish but balanced by marked freshness. Both tropical and green-fruited. Rich and full in the mouth. Powerful, with terrific texture and grip. Absolutely lovely power, length and purity but maybe more varietal than 'wild' – ie intense Sauvignon character and not as marked by the fermentation with indigenous yeasts as in some vintages. Really intense and youthful – even a little bit sweet/sour on the finish. (JH)
Machine and hand harvest. Gentle pressing. Cold settled. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in mostly used French barriques, for six months, with occasional stirring. 50% MLF. 12 months total in oak. TA 6.8 g/l, pH 3.15. Mid lemon. Asparagus, white truffle, lemon peel and flint, with nuttiness. Rich, creamy-textured spice and flint, with full body, smokiness and a good line of freshness. Some fruit sweetness. Long. (TJ)
A really good year for Marlborough, with no extremes. Extensive crop-thinning needed. Night temperatures during harvest slightly warmer than usual. Heat summation a little higher than average at 1,316 degree days. Smells much riper and more oily than smoky, just a hint of oak sweetness, honey and ripe – almost apricot – fruit. There is a strong mineral richness and a lovely ripeness of fruit on the palate. Intense and spiced with citrus and a really savoury character. Oak shows more on the palate now in a spicy mealy quality that makes it more like burgundy. The Sauvignon Blanc character is second to the texture but you do see it on the mid palate and with time in glass. Really big and savoury even with all that ripeness. (JH)