2014 Greywacke Pinot Noir Marlborough 750 ml

Pinot at Its Pinnacle

When James Suckling tasted the 94-point 2014 Greywacke Pinot Noir, he found “plenty of depth.” Wine Spectator followed up with 93-points. But this label’s greatness goes beyond scores — it traces directly to Kevin Judd, the viticultural genius and Spectator’s “Marlborough pioneer” whose phenomenal work as Cloudy Bay Vineyards’ founding winemaker helped New Zealand develop into a world class source of Pinot Noir. Judd’s Greywacke delivers a New Zealand Pinot at its pinnacle and we have 125 cases up for grabs at $29.99 per bottle.   

Greywacke is a product of Kevin Judd’s restlessness. His full-throttle Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs compelled Veuve Clicquot to snap up 70 percent of Cloudy Bay in 1990, just six years after the label launched. The acquisition provided Kevin with a cushy corporate gig; after two decades, he wanted more.

When Kevin launched Greywacke in 2010, the Kiwi export economy, highly dependent on the American market, was in shambles, with the dollar’s fall dealing a crushing blow to the boutique Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir market. Thankfully, he persevered. Today, these dire circumstances now seem like a tiny blip, especially since many people consider Greywacke to be “Cloudy Bay 2.0.”

2014 was another terrific vintage for the region Jancis Robinson dubs New Zealand’s “viticultural engine room.” Kevin’s restraint-driven approach to handling the harvest’s abundant fruit pays massive dividends: His 2014 Greywacke Pinot Noir is a rich, delicious display of layered fruit and dense structure.