2020 was a great year for Chardonnay in North Canterbury, an early warm spring came without frost followed by good flowering. A gentle Autumn allowed even ripening before harvest. Organically managed, the combination of under vine cultivation & fewer irrigation cycles has driven the Chardonnay roots deep into the soil.

The 2020 Greystone Chardonnay is a blend of two main vineyard blocks. One block is limestone dominant, while the other is clay. The two clones, Mendoza & Clone 95, flourish differently in both blocks. Mendoza is the cornerstone of our Chardonnay. The clone is known for its small, open grape bunches, intense fruit-driven flavours and chalky minerality.

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 10 months before estate bottled without fining."

Rated Outstanding & 96/100 Cameron Douglas MS, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)

"A complete wine on the nose and palate with a bouquet of minerals. white peach and fresh grapefruit flesh. The lees and barrel work combine to layer in complexity from spice to gunflint. On the palate – an equally complete wine with flavours that reflect the nose, but also a texture and mouthfeel that lingers well after the wine is swallowed (or expectorated). Completely delicious with a fine tannin texture contrasted by fruit and mineral, a true sense of place and time with best drinking from late 2022 through 2030."

4 Stars Cuisine Chardonnay Tasting, August 2022 (2020 Vintage)

"Pale in the glass with gorgeous aromas of ripe stone fruit against bright zingy citrus on the nose. The palate is rich with more stone fruit against oak spice and fresh white blossom characters that delight. Complex and well balanced. "