A decade of discovery

This relatively young Waipara company only planted their first vines in 2004. And Maxwell was one of those who was there for those initial plantings. Twelve years on, he is the chief winemaker and that intrinsic knowledge of the site and the varying specifics have helped him create some of New Zealand’s most lauded wines.

It has been a meteoric rise for both Greystone Wines and Maxwell. His first job after completing the Viticulture and Oenology Degree at Lincoln University, was as a vineyard hand. He has helped establish the vines, tended them and since 2011 he has been responsible for taking the fruit and turning it into wines that have gone on to win accolade after accolade.

Pinot Noir is the key player in Greystone Wines’ entourage. It makes up over 50 percent of the plantings, following by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. There is also a smattering of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Syrah.

There are three tiers within the Pinot range – the Greystone Pinot Noir, The Thomas Brothers Reserve and Little Brother, which is produced only in the best of years.

With a commerce degree behind him, Maxwell didn’t discover wine until he left New Zealand to undertake his O.E. Reveling in the wines of the old world, he realised commerce wasn’t going to do it for him, and he returned to New Zealand to undertake the degree at Lincoln. His very first job was with Greystone Wines and he has been there ever since.

“When I first went to study I had visions of being a winemaker, but during the studies I enjoyed the viticultural side of it,” he says. “I was keen to get a job at a good place and get a feel for it. Working in the vineyard at Greystone was perfect.”

Owned by the Thomas family, the Omihi site was initially purchased in 2000. Maxwell says the combination of limestone and clay, along with the sloping hill sides were the attraction. As were the varying soil profiles within a very small area.

“We have north west facing hillsides, gradual slopes and above those we have more limestone, rockier dominated areas where we have been able to plant smaller plots of Pinot. We have soils that move from dense clay to limestone within actual rows. In other areas we have sandstone mixed with the limestone and other areas where limestone is very dominant. So we have very different plots which contribute different things.”

That variation is so marked, that when it comes to harvest, the picking doesn’t follow down the 300 metre rows, it is done across them. “Which means it could take three picks over the course of a week and a half to complete the harvest of these rows.”

The intimate knowledge Maxwell has of the plantings has helped him immeasurably as a winemaker.

“There are several things that happen throughout your winemaking life. One is an understanding and acceptance of what your vineyards does. It is not like you can sit down with pages of information, or numbers and read through it over a few weeks and understand it. It is a feeling about what the vineyard does.
It changes year to year. It is hard
to articulate, but being here so long you do become in tune with it.”

That history has also allowed Maxwell to honestly evaluate the progression of the wines.

“There has been huge development,” he says. “In those first few years, we acknowledge we made good wine, but it wasn’t great. It had a lot of fruit characteristics and the palate was kind of medium bodied to light. There just wasn’t a strong sense of place. But in 09, which was only three harvests in, we started to see other characters besides fruit coming through – there was more savoury, spice. Spice is something you see in Omihi Pinot Noirs and in 09 we started to see that for the first time. In the last couple of vintages, we have seen more of that minerality in the soil coming through in the wine.”

He says people often talk about aging vines producing differently to young, but he always questioned that. “But then when it starts to happen, it is quite an amazing thing.”

Mind you, he admits that conditions in Omihi can make life tough for vintners.

“It is not easy down here to make it work because you are dealing with the vagaries of weather, more than you are in some regions. But, gee the wines are stunning and interesting.”

Greystone Wines will be part of Pinot Noir 2017, something Maxwell believes is really important for emerging wineries.

“It is the top event for Pinot Noir in New Zealand and you could argue it is the top event worldwide. The caliber of the people who go and the level of interest and hype adds a bit of electricity to the variety.”

With 10 vintages under their belt, next year’s event is perfect timing for Greystone.

“We now know our story. We have a strong set of wines and a great vineyard and we are very comfortable in our own skins, so this is the right time for us.”ν

Greystone Wines is one of 11 wineries from the North Canterbury/Waiapra region attending Pinot Noir 2017.