Astrolabe Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc
2023
Sauvignon blanc is widely considered by the wine drinkers of the world to reach its pinnacle of potential in Marlborough. The Astrolabe Province Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes grown across three Marlborough sub-regions: the Wairau Valley, the Awatere Valley and the Kēkerengū Coast. The blend of sites, soils and aspects within this wine gives it great complexity, reflecting both the capability of the region as a whole and my own palate. I have sought out sites across the whole Marlborough wine region, looking for different soils and climates and carefully managing cropping levels so that I have the best fruit to work from.
We machine harvest the grapes at night or in the cool parts of the day to preserve the purity and intensity of flavours. In the winery, I take great care to handle the fruit in a way which allows the flavours and aromas of the region to come through. At the end of the growing season, I look at all the wines I have made from the various sub-regions and try to put together the most complete and balanced, integrated version of a Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
I blend to suit what I think is Astrolabe’s style, which reflects what I’ve learnt as a winemaker and drinker over the years. My style is dry, expressive and elegantly balanced. For me it is about getting a lovely sense of fully developed green spectrum flavours from all these different sites and putting them in a glass in a way that is well-styled and elegant. My Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc always presents with ripe green flavours like passionfruit, blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry. In the palate, it is full and round and finishes dry and lingering.
This is a drier style of sauvignon blanc, acidity kept nicely in balance with the alcohol and the very little residual sugar that is there, so it’s all about how all these things come together to make a pleasurable whole. I craft my wines so that nothing stands out as one singular spike, instead revealing a lovely layering of flavours and aromas that people can keep finding as they spend time savouring the glass.
Simon Waghorn — Winemaker
TASTING NOTES
COLOUR/APPEARANCE
Pale straw with green highlights.
AROMA/BOUQUET
Powerful gooseberry, white currant, red capsicum, passionfruit and lime peel aromas.
PALATE
Medium-bodied, with strong flavours of makrut lime, passionfruit, lemongrass and a refreshingly smooth, dry and persistent finish.
AGING POTENTIAL
How long you can keep sauvignon blanc aging depends on the quality of wine, winemaking methods and the taster's palate preferences. This wine is made in classic style and can be enjoyed fresh, but it will bottle age gracefully with careful cellaring.
FOOD PAIRING
Fresh, leafy green salads; goat's cheese; seafood of all types; and dishes with lifted, aromatic herbs.
SAUVIGNON BLANC SERVING TEMPERATURE
It is best to serve sauvignon blanc chilled.
2022 vintage
4.5 STARS
"The 2022 vintage (4.5*) was grown in the Wairau Valley, Awatere Valley and on the Kekerengu Coast. Bright, light lemon/green, with strong, fresh, clearly herbaceous aromas, it is mouthfilling and intensely varietal, with good concentration of crisp, green-edged flavours, a minerally streak, and a real sense of youthful drive. Best drinking mid-2023+." NOV 22
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Michael Cooper
New Zealand Wines: Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide
18 POINTS
"Mellow, herbal sauvignon blanc with green capsicum, sweet cut grass, gooseberry and struck flint/gunpowder characters. Quite a good result from a challenging vintage. Drink 2022 to 2026." OCT 22
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Bob Campbell, Master of Wine
The Real Review © The Real Review
93 POINTS
"Classic bouquet with a concentrated fruit centric beginning, citrus and saline, apple and white peach, fresh herbs and sandy stony mineral quality. Flavours on the palate include grapefruit and lemon peel, fresh apple and gooseberry moments. The saline suggestion from the bouquet rings loud and clear on the palate. Herbaceous, fresh, fruity and dry. A well made wine with some concentration and vibrato. Best drinking from 2023 through 2027." NOV 22
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Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
camdouglasms.com
Appellation Marlborough Collection
Appellation Marlborough Wine AMW
Sustainably certified SWNZ
Vegan