Astrolabe Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023
New Zealand, Awatere Valley
Description
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.
Awards
5 stars Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide
94 pts The Real Review
Double Gold Global Fine Wine Challenge
90 pts James Suckling
Certifications
Alcohol
13.5%
Analytical data
dry
Vineyard
VITICULTURE Climate: The 2020–2021 growing season was warmer than normal, though cooler than two of the recent very warm years of vintages 2018 and 2019. Little rain fell from December to late March, and water deficit conditions prevailed. Cold and wet Spring flowering conditions resulted in fewer berries per bunch and significantly reduced yields — about 70% of normal. Above average sunshine and heat, coupled with the light crop, gave a record early harvest. The vine canopies survived the arid weather, largely due to the light fruit load, and fungal disease was largely non-existent. Wines from the vintage tend to have good concentration.
Soils: Gently undulating, well-drained, deep silt loams and moderately deep sandy loams of greywacke alluvium.
Vinification
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. Bottled 11th June, 2021.