Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

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.

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

The 2017-2018 growing season was the warmest since the first grapes were planted in Marlborough in 1973. Temperatures were 1.1 degrees over the long-term average. It was wetter than normal January through March and made tricky by three extended rain events. A dry period between late February and late March helped the grapes get through in reasonable condition, and the health of the canopies ensured good flavour development.

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.