Dom Maxwell has kicked off a trend without realising it. “My wife told me not to do it,” says the Greystone winemaker. “Her exact words were ‘aren’t you worried about the possums?'” Yes, possums are a problem in New Zealand. They are actually a blight, and have a tendency to take advantage of delicious hanging fruit. But Dom’s wife wasn’t worried about the possums attacking the grapes, so much as the wine. Dom ferments his Waipara Pinot Noir in the vineyard.
Six years ago, Dom decided he wanted to try fermenting his Pinot Noir not in the winery (like 99.9% of winemakers in the world) but out in the vineyard. He figured that the vineyard was the only place where no other ambient yeasts could impact the spontaneous fermentation. Although the winemaking team tried to do everything the same as they did in the winery, the character of their Pinot Noir stood out as remarkably different. It was intriguing enough the first year and ever since then he has continued to ferment a few lots of Pinot Noir in their respective vineyard blocks.
“It was 2014 which really opened our eyes,” Dom says of his third vintage doing a vineyard ferment. “There was a period of a week or so when we could only get out to the vineyard once a day to wet the cap [they had been wetting the cap twice a day previously]. There was a lot less extraction that year, and we found the wine carried its own beauty and so gradually we’ve adopted that for the winery ferments too.”
The vineyard ferments, where the weather dictates the temperature and length of the ferment, has also encouraged Dom to lower fermentation temperatures in the winery. He says cooler temperatures gives “a better picture of the place and hang onto those lighter details”. These are just a couple of the lessons learnt from fermenting out in the vineyard and his learning curve has proved an inspiration for other winemakers in New Zealand who are taking their ferments out into the vineyard too.
“It’s providing some interest to winemakers because strange things can happen out there! But also it is about getting the rest of the vineyard and winery crew enthusiastic about working again.”
While the knock-on effect of increased enthusiasm is definitely a plus, there is evidence in the glass of the effect of vineyard fermentation. Maceration is generally lighter, which gives a lighter colour to their Waipara Pinot Noir and more gentle extraction of tannins. Most exciting of all is the many layers of aromas and flavours which reveal themselves in an ethereal manner – at least in the 2016 I tasted.
Vintage variation (you aren’t only reflecting the weather during the growing season but also during the weeks after harvest where the juice ferments into wine out in the elements) is part of the particularity of vineyard ferments. For Dom that is an exciting snapshot of the year in a glass. I couldn’t agree more.
Recommended Greystone wines & tasting notes
Greystone Sauvignon Blanc 2017
This barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc has lively notes of lemon peel with a brightness of tropical fruit and fresh herbs on the nose. On the palate, it has some structure, lending it to food pairing.
Sand Dollar Pinot Gris 2016
Referring to one of the fossils, this single block Pinot Gris on one of the lower plots around 60m above sea level. Two clones of Pinot Gris are used, which Dom says give it complexity, and after two years in the bottle, it shows aromatic richness with bright fruit notes and exotic spice and is full-bodied.
Sea Star Riesling 2016
This Riesling comes from a single block from a limestone plot at the vineyard’s highest elevation. It has bright lemon sherbet and citrus zest notes with aromas of flowers, garden herbs and a hint of kerosene. Bright and long with mouthwatering acidity.
Chardonnay 2016
This Chardonnay comes from two blocks, one block at the bottom of the terrace made with the B95 clone (which typically gives stone fruit character, and Dom vinifies it in a tank) and one block with the Mendoza clone (which typically gives more power and concentration, which Dom vinifies in a barrel). The result is a Chardonnay with an appealing richness and structure among notes of ripe stone fruits and wet stone. There’s a long, chalky finish.
See what Dom says about the potential of Waipara Chardonnay.
Greystone Thomas Brothers Pinot Noir 2015
This Waipara Pinot Noir comes from the higher elevation limestone blocks of their vineyard. Although Dom doesn’t make it every year, when he does he vinifies it separately to make a special single lot wine. Compared to the estate Pinot Noir, this is much more savoury with dark fruit notes but also forest floor and herbal aromas. It has texture and fine tannins, showing finesse.
See what Dom says about Waipara Pinot Noir in this interview.
Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir 2016
This is a selection of their best barrels from their vineyard ferment lots. The wine is so much lighter in colour (compared to the estate or single block Pinot Noir) but has many layers to it. Floral, red fruit and earthy nuances. Elegant and quite ethereal.
Greystone Syrah 2016
There’s a lovely, bright red berry fruit note on the nose of this Syrah with a spicy, meaty undertone. The vineyard block is quite a steep one and from limestone soils.
Full interview with Dom Maxwell on Waipara terroir & Greystone wines
The full in-depth interview with Dom Maxwell is for subscribers only:
Dom Maxwell: Full interview at Greystone in Waipara from Amanda Barnes on Vimeo.
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Find out more about Greystone wines online. Photos courtesy of Greystone.
Learn more about Waipara Pinot Noir and wines with our guide to Waipara wine region.
