Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Aroma - 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.

In his Province range, Simon emphasises the varietal intensity created by Marlborough’s leafy vineyards, ripe fruit and cool-climate winegrowing conditions. Simon takes the classic varietal styles of the region and, through delicate fruit handling and astute blending, produces benchmark wines.

Climate: After a wet winter, spring was drier and warmer than normal, but regular rain events kept vines growing and in good health. Budburst was very good, and bunch numbers per vine were ahead of the long-term average. Through late spring and summer wet and humid conditions prevailed, and the outlook was for a difficult harvest period with high fungal disease potential. Late summer and autumn were very good, with sunny and dry weather that helped the harvest come through in very good condition and about a week later than recent seasons. Soils: Free-draining stony, silty loam, with some vineyards having clay or limestone content.

Harvest Date: Between the 3rd and 20th April, 2023.

Vine Management: Standard trellis, with pruning to two to four canes, and vertical shoot positioning. Vines are trimmed closely, well tucked and lightly leaf plucked.

WINEMAKING The fruit was machine harvested in cool evening conditions, de-stemmed and lightly pressed with minimal skin contact. Clear, cold-settled juice was fermented in stainless steel vats at low temperatures, using neutral wine yeast strains to allow the powerful fruit flavours to dominate.