GREYSTONE CHARDONNAY 2022

Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show – New Zealand Organic Wine Awards 2024
Trophy for Champion Chardonnay – New Zealand Organic Wine Awards 2024
Gold Medal – New Zealand Organic Wine Awards 2024

The north facing slopes of the Waipara hills bear more than a passing resemblance to Burgundy's Golden slopes and increasingly the wines are delivering quality to match. This is an exceptional Chardonnay!

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"Pale lemon in colour with aromas of ripe nectarine and pink grapefruit. Toasted almonds and bran appear with some fine blossom too. Rich mouth-feel with exotic spice and lemon pith, balanced with a lengthy mineral spine.

We hand-picked our Chardonnay blocks and processed without the use of additives. We pressed our Limestone block as whole bunches and pressed our Clay block after foot crushing. Each block was fermented separately in French oak barriques without intervention, allowing the wild yeasts and bacteria to perform primary and malo-lactic fermentation through to completion. Barrel aged for 9 months before estate bottled without fining."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, November 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"Fragrant, enticing, complex and new with a freshness and enticement scents with white peach and sweet citrus, some ripe red apple flesh idea and core of lees offering a gun-flint and mineral saline scent. Lovely weight and intensity driven by mouthfeel and core fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. The lees and mineral qualities layer in complexity and style. An excellent wine with best drinking from 2024 through 2030."

5 Stars Michael Cooper (2022 Vintage)
"The 2022 vintage of this organically certified wine was hand-picked, barrel-fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (17 per cent new). Light gold, it is fragrant, weighty and rich, with ripe stonefruit flavours, well-integrated oak, lively acidity, and excellent depth, harmony and length. Savoury, vigorous and finely structured, it's already enjoyable, but likely to be at its best 2025+."

5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, February 2024 (2022 Vintage)
"Bright, even, pale straw yellow with depth. The nose is powerful, displaying aromas of struck-match, toasty reduction underlying stonefruit and citrus. Full-bodied, aromas of grapefruit and apricot enriched with toast, struck-match and stony minerals. The enlivening acidity cuts through the rich, toasty reduction and drives a long, opulent finish. This is a powerful, rich Chardonnay with lengthy and bright acidity that carries weight and complexity. Match with roasted chicken and charcoal-grilled prawns over the next 5+ years. Handpicked, the Limestone block was whole bunch pressed, the Clay block was foot crushed before pressing, then fermented in French oak barriques without intervention, 18% new oak, underwent MLF, barrel aged for 9 months, unfined. 13.5% alc. Organic certified."