A glorious sunny day set the scene as we headed out to the glorious vineyards of Marlborough.
Greywacke was our first stop and we were welcomed by owners Kevin and Beverley Judd.
Kevin was the winemaker at Cloudy Bay during its heyday and subsequent emergence as a global icon wine……so no pressure.
Having left Cloudy Bay to found Greywacke, Kevin has done a rather brilliant job. He rents winery space and doesn’t own any vineyards so can pick and choose optimal quality fruit from a numbr of sources.
We tasted :
- Sauvignon Blanc 2014
- Wild Sauvignon 2012
- Pinot Gris 2013
- Riesling 2013
- Pinot Noir 2012
- Late Harvest Riesling 2011
An amazing set of top class wines showing depth, richness and concentration.
From Greywacke it was a short hop to Clos Henri – an operation owned by the famous Henri Bourgeois estate in Sancerre. They focus solely on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir with the emphasis on imparting the varied terroir into their wines. The cellar door is a beautiful old church and we enjoyed a delicious French cheese platter outside overlooking the vines.
We tasted:
Sauvignon Blanc
- Petit Clos 2014
- Bel Echo 2013
- Clos Henri 2012
- Petit Bourgeois 2013 VDP Loire Valley
Pinot Noir
- Petit Clos 2013
- Bel Echo 2012
- Clos Henri 2010
From Clos Henri we headed to the iconic Cloudy Bay.
We were hosted by Mario, the cellar door manager, and tasted through a range in the Pinot Noir barrel cellar:
- Pelorus NV sparkling
- Sauvignon Blanc 2014
- Pinot Gris 2013
- Chardonnay 2011
- Te Wahi Pinot Noir 2011
Tomorrow we visit the Johanneshof winery, meet the Kiwi wine pioneer John Forrest and complete part one of the tour with a tasting dinner at Hans Herzog – it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it….