Astrolabe Wrekin
Chenin Blanc
2021
Like its fellow Loire grape sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc flourishes in our climate. In my youth as a winemaker, most chenin blanc was used as a high acid blending variety for cask wine. Some makers understood its strengths and treated it properly. For the few passionate chenin blanc winemakers in New Zealand, it can be a rewarding varietal and produce very serious, elegant and ageworthy wine.
The Astrolabe Wrekin Chenin Blanc is made from grapes grown on a loess clay slope. We hand pick the grapes to give a delicacy to the phenolics. The chenin blanc is partially barrel fermented with wild yeast for complexity, with the remainder in stainless steel to preserve the fruit flavours. All fruit is free-run to retain purity. I love the chenin grape because of its distinct flavour profile, the crisp acidity and the ability of the wine to age with interest and grace.
Simon Waghorn — Winemaker
TASTING NOTES
COLOUR/APPEARANCE
Pale gold.
AROMA/BOUQUET
Green apple and honeysuckle, with lemon honey and a little vanilla from the oak.
PALATE
Medium-bodied, with a focused, mineral length and flavours of crisp apple, lemon and peach.
AGING POTENTIAL
Made to age gracefully; weight and honeyed flavours will result from cellaring.
FOOD PAIRING
Spring vegetables, grilled fish, goat’s cheese soufflé, pork terrine, and apple or pear salads.
SERVING TEMPERATURE
Lightly chilled.
2021 vintage
92 POINTS
"A dry chenin blanc with just the merest hint of fruit sweetness. Lovely precise aromas of fresh Granny Smith apple, a little beeswax and lanolin lead on to a juicy citrus and wet-stone focused palate." DEC 21
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Jane Skilton, Master of Wine
Gourmet Traveller Wine
2020 vintage
93 POINTS "HIGH QUALITY"
"Crisp, dry chenin blanc with apple, oyster-shell, citrus, lemon and lime blossom flavour supported by juicy acidity and fine, peppery tannins. Good now but should age well. Drink 2021 to 2031." SEP 21
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Bob Campbell, Master of Wine
The Real Review © The Real Review
2019 vintage
94 POINTS
"Apples and mineral, white flowers and leesy complexity, fresh white fleshed fruits and a fresh exotic perfume of place. Flavours of fresh apple and pear, some citrus pith and leesy textures. Acidity adds crunch and freshness accentuating a core of minerality. Long finish, a delicious wine ready to drink or for the cellar. Ideal drinking window from 2023 through 2030." MAY 21
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Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
5 STARS
“The 2019 vintage (5*) has a powerful presence. A single-vineyard wine, hand-harvested in the Southern Valleys, it was partly (40 per cent) fermented with indigenous yeasts in seasoned French oak puncheons. Richly scented, it is full-bodied, with deep, vibrant, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, and a long, dry (2.3 grams/litre of residual sugar) finish. Still very youthful, it should be at its best 2023+.”
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Michael Cooper
New Zealand Wines: Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide 2021
91 POINTS
"Fermented by indigenous yeasts in oak puncheons. Dry, crisply refreshing chenin blanc with green apple, lime-citrus and saline oyster-shell flavours supported by attractive, lively acidity. Good now but should age well. Drink 2020 to 2028.” SEP 20
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Rebecca Gibb, Master of Wine
Vinous
90 POINTS
"From a loess site in the Brancott Valley, the 2019 Wrekin Vineyard Chenin Blanc was fermented in a mix of stainless steel and used barrels. It reveals some of the elusive beeswax and lanolin notes more often found in Old-World examples, plus bright pear and citrus elements. Medium-bodied, it's smooth and silky-textured on the palate, finishing dry and refreshing." APR 21
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Joe Czerwinski
Wine Advocate
Sustainably certified SWNZ
Vegan
Organic