Greystone

The Greystone story begins in 2000 when the Thomas family bought a 120-hectare former sheep farm tucked into the Omihi Hills at the northern end of Waipara Valley. What drew the family was not the sheep country but what lay beneath it: the same band of grey calcareous limestone that surfaces in the highly regarded vineyards of Bell Hill, Pyramid Valley, and Black Estate a few kilometres away, and which has made the Omihi sub-zone of Waipara one of the South Island's most distinctive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sites. The estate name comes directly from the dense grey limestone that runs through the property. Planting did not begin until 2004, when thirteen separate blocks were laid out across the north-facing slopes and viticulturist Nick Gill, brought across from Penfolds, oversaw the establishment of the vineyard. Today around 40 hectares of the 120-hectare property are under vine, with the balance left in native bush, grazing, and regenerating pasture. Dom Maxwell arrived in October 2004 to answer an advertisement for vineyard hands, planted some of the first vines himself, and worked his way through the cellar under consultant Alan McCorkindale before taking the head winemaker role in 2008. He has held that role through every vintage since.

• Thomas family acquired the 120-hectare Omihi property (a former sheep farm) in 2000; the limestone bedrock, shared with nearby Bell Hill, Pyramid Valley, and Black Estate, was the principal attraction
• Thirteen blocks planted from 2004 by viticulturist Nick Gill (formerly of Penfolds); roughly 40 hectares now under vine on the 120-hectare property
• The name Greystone refers to the dense grey limestone running beneath the vineyards, which the family considers the defining element of the wines
• Dom Maxwell joined in October 2004 as a vineyard hand, worked under consultant Alan McCorkindale, and became head winemaker in 2008; he has remained in the role through every commercial vintage

Omihi sits at the northern end of the Waipara Valley GI, where the valley narrows and rises into a series of low limestone hills 100 to 200 metres above sea level. The soils are a mix of Awapuni clay loam with calcium carbonate deposits in the foothills and outcrops of pure rendzina (limestone-derived) soils across the upper slopes, with the vineyards planted across north-facing aspects that catch maximum sun in the southern hemisphere. The site is unusually well suited to Pinot Noir because the limestone moderates clay's water-holding capacity, encourages deep root systems, and contributes the structural backbone that distinguishes Omihi Pinot from the alluvial gravel sites further south on the valley floor. Waipara has a continental climate, with hot, dry summer days, cool nights, and a long autumn ripening window protected from easterly weather by the Teviotdale Hills. The combination of limestone, north-facing aspect, and reliable autumns is what places Omihi alongside the most ambitious Pinot Noir sites in New Zealand. Greystone, Black Estate, Bell Hill, and Pyramid Valley all draw on the same general limestone band, even as each producer interprets it differently.

• Omihi is the northernmost sub-zone of Waipara Valley GI, with hills rising 100 to 200 metres above sea level; soils are Awapuni clay loam over calcium carbonate in the foothills, with pure rendzina (limestone-derived) outcrops on the upper slopes
• All Greystone vineyard blocks are planted on north-facing aspects (sun-facing in the southern hemisphere), maximising sunlight during the long Waipara growing season
• Limestone bedrock is the defining characteristic: it gives the wines structural backbone, encourages deep root systems, and is shared with neighbouring Omihi producers Bell Hill, Pyramid Valley, and Black Estate
• Continental climate with hot dry summer days, cool nights, and a long autumn ripening window protected from easterly weather by the Teviotdale Hills

Greystone began transitioning to organic farming in 2014 and completed its full BioGro New Zealand certification across the estate by 2018. The vineyards are managed entirely by hand without herbicides, insecticides, or systemic fungicides, with cover crops, composted winery marc combined with bark, straw, and biodynamic preparations, and sheep grazing among the vines outside the growing season. The estate is certified carbon zero with Toitū, and since 2021 the Thomas family has been transitioning to a fully regenerative agriculture model that goes beyond organic to actively rebuild soil health, increase biodiversity, and sequester carbon. The approach is one reason Greystone won the Champion Organic Trophy at the International Wine Competition in 2023. The 120-hectare property is also farmed as an integrated landscape: native bush, regenerating pasture, and shelter belts are maintained alongside the vineyard blocks, and the estate restaurant uses produce grown on the property in its tasting menus.

• Transition to organic farming began in 2014; full BioGro New Zealand certification completed by 2018 across the entire estate
• No herbicides, insecticides, or systemic fungicides; vineyard work done by hand with cover crops, biodynamic compost preparations, and winter sheep grazing
• Certified carbon zero with Toitū; transitioning to fully regenerative and carbon-neutral agriculture since 2021
• Champion Organic Trophy at the International Wine Competition 2023; the broader 120-hectare property is managed as an integrated farm including native bush, pasture, and an estate restaurant

Pinot Noir is the focal point of the Greystone portfolio, accounting for the largest share of plantings, and the cellar produces three tiers of estate Pinot Noir. The standard Greystone Pinot Noir is a blend across the Omihi blocks, vinified in stainless steel and aged in French oak, and shows the textbook Waipara combination of dark cherry, savoury spice, and limestone-driven mineral grip. The Brothers' Reserve Pinot Noir (sometimes labelled Thomas Brothers' Reserve), drawn from the most expressive parcels in the strongest years, is the top selection; it was the 2012 vintage of this wine that won the 2014 Decanter International Trophy for Pinot Noir over £15. The Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir is the cellar's signature experiment: since 2012, Greystone has fermented a portion of the Pinot Noir crop in open fermenters placed in the vineyard rows where the fruit was grown, rather than in the indoor cellar. Four fermenters are arranged in the rows, the fruit is plunged daily for around 28 days at ambient temperature, fermentation proceeds entirely on native vineyard yeasts, and the wine is then pressed off, aged for around 15 months in older barriques, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The technique began almost by accident when a small experimental batch refused to behave indoors and produced a wine of unusual fragrance and clarity, and it has since become a defining element of the Greystone identity and the subject of academic research into how vineyard fermentation can extend the influence of site through the cellar.

• Pinot Noir is the most-planted variety on the estate; three tiers are produced: standard Greystone Pinot Noir, single-block Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir, and the top-tier Brothers' Reserve
• The 2012 Brothers' Reserve Pinot Noir won the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards International Trophy for Pinot Noir over £15, beating Burgundy and Pinot regions from both hemispheres
• Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir has been produced since 2012: open fermenters are placed in the vineyard rows, fruit ferments on native yeasts at ambient temperature with daily plunging for around 28 days, then ages around 15 months in older barriques, bottled unfined and unfiltered
• The vineyard fermentation programme is the subject of academic research into how the technique extends the influence of terroir into the cellar, and is one of the most distinctive winemaking signatures in New Zealand

Beyond Pinot Noir, Greystone produces a complete range of aromatic whites and Chardonnay from the Omihi blocks. The Riesling is dry to off-dry with lime zest and delicate florals supported by the calcium-rich soils; the Pinot Gris shows pear, white peach, and a textural mid-palate; the Sauvignon Blanc is rounder and more mineral than the typical Marlborough style, leaning on the limestone backbone rather than overt herbaceous notes; and the Chardonnay (including the limited Erin's Reserve bottling) is whole-bunch pressed and barrel-fermented, with citrus, hazelnut, and a creamy textural finish. The estate also makes a methode traditionnelle sparkling wine and a small-volume Syrah, which is unusual for a region best known for whites and Pinot. In 2011 the Thomas family acquired the neighbouring Muddy Water Estate, an older Waipara label established in 1993 by Michael and Jane East with vines first planted in 1989, when the Easts retired from the business. Greystone continues to operate Muddy Water as a separate brand from the same Omihi facility, releasing its distinctive cult wines including the Slowhand Pinot Noir, drawn from the first block planted at Muddy Water in 1989 and only made in years when the season delivers fully ripe fruit. Muddy Water gives Greystone access to some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Waipara and a second, established premium brand.

• Aromatic whites: Riesling (dry to off-dry, citrus and floral), Pinot Gris (pear and stone fruit, textural mid-palate), and Sauvignon Blanc (rounder, more mineral than the Marlborough style)
• Chardonnay (including Erin's Reserve) is whole-bunch pressed and barrel-fermented with citrus, hazelnut, and a creamy textural finish; the estate also makes a methode traditionnelle sparkling and a small-volume Syrah
• Greystone acquired the neighbouring Muddy Water Estate in 2011 when founders Michael and Jane East retired; Muddy Water was established in 1993 with vines first planted in 1989, home to some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Waipara
• Muddy Water continues as a distinct brand made at the Greystone winery; the cult Slowhand Pinot Noir is made only in suitable vintages from the first block planted at Muddy Water in 1989

Within a decade of its first commercial vintage Greystone had moved from new venture to international reference point. The 2014 Decanter International Trophy for Pinot Noir over £15 was the headline result and put Waipara Pinot Noir on the world stage; the judges noted that the 2012 Brothers' Reserve carried all the classic textural and fruit hallmarks expected of great Pinot Noir, having seen off competition that included Burgundy entries. Subsequent vintages of the Brothers' Reserve have consistently scored in the mid-90s with major international critics, and both the Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir and the standard Greystone Pinot Noir are routinely cited among the most distinctive Waipara examples on the market. The estate won the Champion Organic Trophy at the International Wine Competition in 2023, recognising the integration of organic farming with serious winemaking. Dom Maxwell, who has been the cellar lead since 2008, is regarded as one of New Zealand's leading Pinot Noir specialists, often described in the same conversation as Larry McKenna and the Felton Road and Bell Hill winemakers. The estate operates a vineyard restaurant and cellar door on the Omihi property, with tastings available alongside meals built around produce grown on the farm.

• 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards International Trophy for Pinot Noir over £15 with the 2012 Brothers' Reserve Pinot Noir, beating Burgundy and other Pinot regions
• Brothers' Reserve has consistently scored in the mid-90s with international critics across subsequent vintages; Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir is regarded as one of the most distinctive Pinots in New Zealand
• Champion Organic Trophy at the International Wine Competition 2023; Dom Maxwell is widely cited among New Zealand's leading Pinot Noir winemakers
• Estate restaurant and cellar door on the Omihi property serve produce grown on the broader 120-hectare farm; tastings available by appointment