2025 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

There is a layer of thorny prickle, a nettle herb that is utterly intoxicating in this wine. It unravels what you know of sauvignon blanc, making it a star-studded wine in my books. White pineapple, pomelo and daikon radish. Thai basil and mangosteen flesh. Linear and refreshing, this is crunchy and lively from start to finish. Drink to 2028.

95 points & Special Value Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2026

The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc leads with a soft nose of musk sticks and brine, green apple skins, wet linen and green olive tapenade. In the mouth, the wine is tightly coiled and yet textured by pithy phenolics. The length of the flavor is long, as we have come to expect from Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc. This is a superb wine in any vintage. Drink to 2035.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, April 2026

Ripe and fruity, core varietal scents of cape gooseberry and fresh basil, pineapple and mango, grapefruit and citrus peel. A wine with a deep core of minerality as well suggesting a silty soil and stony earthy suggestions. Taut and dry, an electric acid line with a natural fruit sweetness quality delivering contrast and flavour. As the wine warms on the palate the flavours expand with some lime and orange melon, dried herb and stone. An excellent example with best drinking from day of purchase through 2031.

94 points Excellent Cameron Douglas MS

A flavorful, focused and textural sauvignon blanc with papayas, limes and stones on the nose. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Lively and succulent, with a precise palate and a long finish. Drink or hold.

93 points Kevin Dacy for James Suckling, March 2026

An attention-grabbing, perfumed and airy expression, filled with pretty floral and sweet apple flavours. Concentrated and linear, the palate reveals a tapered, saline length and streaks of acidity to hold everything in place. Drink to 2028.

93 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, October 2025

Few names are more closely associated with the rise of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc than Kevin Judd. After helping establish Cloudy Bay as one of New Zealand's most influential wineries, Judd launched Greywacke in 2009, naming the project after the ancient greywacke river stones that underpin many of Marlborough's vineyards. Today, Greywacke is regarded as one of the region's benchmark producers, combining meticulous vineyard selection with a winemaking philosophy that favours texture, complexity and site expression over simple fruit exuberance.

The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from mature vineyards throughout Marlborough's Southern Valleys and Wairau Plains. A long, sunny growing season and cool nights allowed the fruit to ripen slowly, building intense flavour while preserving the bright natural acidity that defines the region. Careful harvesting and cool fermentation ensure maximum aromatic purity, while a small portion of wild fermentation contributes extra texture and complexity.

Pale straw with brilliant green highlights, the wine bursts from the glass with aromas of passionfruit, guava and kaffir lime, layered with notes of grapefruit, blackcurrant leaf and fresh herbs. As it opens, hints of white peach and citrus blossom emerge, adding further intrigue. The palate is vibrant and concentrated, delivering waves of tropical fruit, lime zest and crunchy green apple balanced by a distinctive mineral edge. A beautifully textured mouthfeel and lively acidity carry the wine through a long, refreshing finish that lingers with citrus and subtle savoury notes.

Freshly shucked oysters, grilled king prawns, ceviche, Thai green papaya salad, goat's cheese tart or steamed mussels with garlic and herbs are all superb partners. While irresistible in its youth, the wine has the balance to develop additional complexity over the next five to seven years. This remains one of Marlborough's finest Sauvignon Blancs, offering purity, energy and a level of sophistication that continues to set the benchmark.