Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2015
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Pair with spring vegetables, grilled gamefish, goat's cheese souffle, pork terrine, and apple or pear salads.
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An astrolabe is an ancient astronomical calculator with a name that translates as ‘star taker’. In 1996, when respected career winemaker Simon Waghorn started his own label, reaching for the stars seemed appropriate, and he chose the name Astrolabe. Working in a profession at the conflux of art and science, there is a certain affinity with the artisans who painstakingly crafted these often ornate instruments. Simon has since established a benchmark style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and has been described by New Zealand’s leading Master of Wine, Bob Campbell, as a ‘Sauvignon
Supremo’.
After the international success of his Sauvignon Blanc established Astrolabe’s reputation, Simon gave up his other winemaking commitments to focus on Astrolabe, which has now become a family winery. Simon often refers to Marlborough as a winemaker’s paradise for of its ability to produce world class aromatic white wine and Pinot Noir. Simon has long been an advocate for the recognition of sub-regional diversity within Marlborough. His convictions are reflected in the wines he makes: a diverse range of varieties from small plantings around Marlborough with different expressions of
terroir. Simon sources fruit from across the whole Marlborough growing region, pushing as far as the southern coast, where limestone soils can be found.
Astrolabe is a winemaker brand, and Simon Waghorn makes the wines to suit his personal palate. Simons crafts his Astrolabe wines with precision and harmony, capturing Marlborough’s intense fruit and leaving the connoisseur to discover the measured layering of flavors and different dimensions as they savor each glass.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.