Astrolabe Awatere Valley
Sauvignon Blanc
2025
I have been fascinated by the qualities of the Marlborough sub-regions ever since I arrived as a young winemaker in 1994. I first released my Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc in 2005. As my winemaking style has evolved, I have also moved towards an Awatere-dominant blend for my Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Most of Marlborough’s sauvignon blanc is planted in the northerly Wairau Valley, and the distinct sub-regional character of the southerly Awatere valley sauvignon blanc may surprise those who are more familiar with the Wairau fruit profile. The smaller Awatere valley was planted later and is distinguished by its clay soils, cooler, windier and drier climate and later harvest. We generally think of the Wairau as having more thiol-driven tropical passionfruit and ripe citrus flavours, while the Awatere is more focused around herbal, leafy methoxypyrazine flavours.
When I put this wine together, I really try to showcase parcels of fruit that I think are uber-Awatere, expressing the essence of the Awatere region. I always blend from Awatere valley vineyards on the north and south of the river to reflect the different soil fertility and flavour these sites contribute. Even though this wine is all about the Awatere, I am trying to show the Awatere as a whole, rather than just a single vineyard site.
The clay in the soils provides a nice mouth-coating texture. It has all those cedar and tobacco notes we get in the Awatere as well as all those green spectrum flavours we get across the board. This wine is a little more mineral than my Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a little more singular, because it’s blended from only two or three sites every year. It doesn’t have the vineyard complexity of our Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but it has a lovely sense of place localised to the Awatere sub-region.
My Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc is dry and has an emphasis on aromatic herbs and fresh, green fruits, with a full and lingering mouthfeel, balanced acidity and a savoury, almost saline finish. The winemaking techniques are identical to my Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and the differences entirely come from site selection and blending.
Simon Waghorn — Winemaker
TASTING NOTES
COLOUR/APPEARANCE
Pale straw with green highlights.
AROMA/BOUQUET
Focused aromas of jalapeño, nettle, lime zest, lemongrass and fresh herbs.
PALATE
A linear, pure wine with clean flavours of currants, gooseberry and citrus. Finishes savoury, crisp and dry.
AGING POTENTIAL
Very enjoyable when young and fresh; will age gracefully with careful cellaring.
FOOD PAIRING
Green-lipped mussels, goat’s cheese, tabbouleh, fresh herbs and peppery leaves.
SAUVIGNON BLANC SERVING TEMPERATURE
Chilled.
2025 vintage
93 POINTS “OUTSTANDING”
“Vivid and succulent, with a nose of lemons, fresh pears and some crushed stones. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and character. Zesty and textured, with a persistent finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap.” OCT 25
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James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com
93 POINTS “EXCELLENT”
“White peach and apple, salty air and gooseberry, fresh apple and wet stony soils ideas. Crisp and dry with a gentle savoury dried herb quality then flavours of stone and citrus fruits. No mistaking the acid line carrying flavours of stone and fruit as well as salivating the palate. Best drinking from 2026 through 2030.” NOV 25
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Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
camdouglasms.com
94 POINTS
“The 2025 Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc is herbal and grassy, with crushed shells, coriander leaves, lemon zest and brine. In the mouth, the wine is spicy, loaded with flavor and distinctly Awatere in character. This is an excellent wine. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.” APR 26
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Erin Larkin
Wine Advocate
92 POINTS
“Vibrant and aromatic, with detailed notes of toasted green tea, tarragon, lemon sage and lemon verbena to complement the core of fresh Asian pear, citrus and celery seed on a smooth and fresh frame. The acidity makes the flavors pop on the finish, where there’s a touch of herbal salt. Drink now through 2035. 1,743 cases made, 104 cases imported.” APR 26
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MaryAnn Worobiec
Wine Spectator
92 POINTS
“A very expressive wine that shows off the spice, herbs and tropical notes of the variety. Winter melon, kiwifruit and yellow guava meet with thistle, shiso mint and cucumber melon. There are pops of Thai basil herbs and some fleshy peach in the mid-palate. A wine with lots of detail throughout.” APR 26
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Shanteh Wale
Halliday Wine Companion
2024 vintage
95 POINTS
"Complex and enticing bouquet with a citrus and savoury drive, aromas and flavours of grapefruit and lemon then gooseberry and apple. There’s a natural fruit spice, dried herb and saline quality through the palate adding breadth, complexity and an expression of place. Fantastic acid line and length. Best drinking from 2025 through 2027+." OCT 24
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Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
camdouglasms.com
2023 vintage
5 STARS
"The impressive 2023 vintage (5*) is a bright, light lemon/green, fresh, full-bodied wine. It has penetrating, ripe, citrusy, herbal flavours, showing excellent purity, delicacy and depth, balanced acidity, and a dry, persistent, finely textured finish. Best drinking mid-2024+." JAN 24
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Michael Cooper
New Zealand Wines: Michael Coopers Buyer’s Guide
95 POINTS
"Intense, grassy sauvignon with gooseberry, tomato leaf, wet stone and oyster shell flavours supported by assertive, mouth-tingling acidity. Distinctive and appealing wine for those who like truly dry sauvignon. Drink 2023-2027." DEC 23
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Bob Campbell, Master of Wine
The Real Review © The Real Review
95 POINTS
"Delicious from beginning to end , a wine with power and intensity, a core of fruits that are ripe and mouthwateringly fresh with a laser-focused acid line. Flavours of apples and white pineapple, cape gooseberry, pink grapefruit and salty air. There’s a definitive savoury quality accentuated with finer lees complexities. Lengthy, ready and not to be missed. best drinking from 2024 through 2030." NOV 23
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Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
camdouglasms.com
2022 vintage
92 POINTS
"Intense, showcasing fresh-grated ginger, lemongrass and dried lemon thyme on a smooth, plump and juicy frame. Offers notes of dried apricot and toasted green tea, along with a thread of minerality that gains momentum on the finish."
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MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator
Appellation Marlborough Collection
Sustainably certified SWNZ
Vegan