Astrolabe Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2020

"A ripe example of Awatere Valley sauvignon blanc, with underlying cut grass, saline-mineral and tomato leaf flavours. Flavoursome wine with fruity, mouth-watering acidity. A delicious wine. Drink: 2020-2025."  Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review - 95 points

"Pale straw with green highlights. Focused aromas of jalapeño, nettle, lime zest, lemongrass and fresh herbs. A linear, pure wine with clean flavours of currants, gooseberry and citrus. Finishes savoury, crisp and dry. Very enjoyable when young and fresh; will age gracefully with careful cellaring."  Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022

"The 2020 vintage is a bright, light lemon/green, full-bodied wine, with generous tropical-fruit and herbaceous flavours, vigorous, finely balanced, bone-dry and lingering."  Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide  ★★★★(★)

Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 

Awatere Valley is one of three sub-regions within the famous Marlborough wine region of New Zealand, accounting for around a third of the vineyard area. It lies south-east of the region's two other main wine-growing areas, the Wairau Valley and the Southern Valleys sub-regions (refer to the map below). The Awatere River, which flows south from Clifford Bay, gives the region its name – awatere meaning "fast-flowing river" in the local Maori dialect.

The potential of the Awatere Valley as a premium site for viticulture came a decade after the first Marlborough vines were planted in the Wairau Valley. In the late 1980s, the first pioneering growers, Vavasour Wines, began establishing vineyards on the hills in Awatere's more challenging terroir. The main period of expansion occurred in the late 1990s, as suitable land became more scarce in the Wairau Valley. Now, the valley is home to a significant acreage of grapevines and produces some of Marlborough's best-known Sauvignon Blanc.

The vineyards of the Awatere Valley sit on a variety of hills and river terraces in the rugged, rolling landscape. Wind-blown loams sit atop a base of alluvial gravel, mostly made up of greywacke. These dry, free-draining soils are one of the most important features of the terroir in Awatere because they stress the vines. Stressed vines grow deep root systems in search of water and nutrients and produce high-quality berries to ensure the propagation of their species.

The climate is influenced heavily by the ocean that makes up the northern and eastern boundaries of the region. Intense sunlight during the day is cooled by ocean winds, contributing to the diurnal temperature shift that extends the growing season in the Awatere Valley, with harvests usually taking place some days after the Wairau Valley.

Astrolabe Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc

"Most of Marlborough's sauvignon blanc is planted in the northerly Wairau Valley, and the distinct sub-regional character of the southerly Awatere valley sauvignon blanc may surprise those who are more familiar with the Wairau fruit profile. We generally think of the Wairau as having more thiol-driven tropical passionfruit and ripe citrus flavours, while the Awatere is more focused around herbal, leafy methoxypyrazine flavours.

When I put our Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc together, I really try to showcase parcels of fruit that I think are uber-Awatere, expressing the essence of the Awatere region. I always blend from Awatere Valley vineyards on the north and south of the river to reflect the different soil fertility and flavour these sites contribute. Even though this wine is all about the Awatere, I am trying to show the Awatere as a whole, rather than just a single vineyard site."  Simon Waghorn, Astrolabe

Marlborough sub-regions

Founded in 1996 and named after the ship that in 1827 charted and explored the Marlborough Coast, Astrolabe wines were created by seasoned winemaker Simon Waghorn together with his wife Jane. Simon crafts a range of beautiful wines that express the purity and intensity of fruit flavours afforded by the climate and soils of the Marlborough region.

All grapes are sourced from ten families who live on their land and farm sustainably. These carefully chosen sites add complexity and completeness to the wines. Simon is fascinated by the distinctive qualities of the Marlborough sub-regions and in addition to the range of Marlborough Province wines, he also produces wines specific to the Awatere Valley and  Kēkerengū Coast sub-regions.

"I choose to live and work in Marlborough because I believe the grapes here are the best in the world. I use all my skills and experience to style wines with elegance and balance that capture the intensity and brightness of our fruit. The diverse terroir of Marlborough's sub-regions broadens my palette as a winemaker to craft complex and individual wines."  Simon Waghorn, Winemaker

Simon Waghorn talks about Astrolabe (click on image to play video)

We want you to enjoy your wines as soon as possible and endeavour to dispatch orders as quickly as we can. It may take us a little longer during sales or peak trading periods, so kindly keep that in mind if you are purchasing for a special occasion.

Shipping Cost

Delivery is free on any order of 12 or more bottles to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Wollongong and rural Victoria.

On orders of 12 or more bottles to all other areas, we cover a percentage of the shipping costs. Shipping is calculated at checkout.

For orders of less than 12 bottles Australia wide, shipping is calculated at checkout.

Insurance

All orders are fully insured.

Standard Delivery

We use Australia Post and a Specialist Wine Courier (Anonymous Wine Freight) for domestic deliveries. Your location will determine which of these delivery services will be available.

Couriers will not telephone ahead to notify you of time of delivery and delivery on specific days can not be guaranteed.

While a large number of destinations are serviced within 48 hours or less, please allow up to 14 days for delivery within Australia.

Specialist Wine Delivery Service

We offer a specialist temperature-controlled wine delivery service called Anonymous Wine Freight to deliver your wine if you live close to the CBD in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or Perth, or live in Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Mornington Peninsula or Geelong. If Anonymous Wine Freight services your postcode, the option to use them will appear on checkout. Here is a link to the list of postcodes they service. 

They are highly recommended as they ship in refrigerated transport to climate-controlled warehouses in each metro area before they make their way to your delivery address in air-conditioned vehicles for the last kilometers. In addition, they will even call you by phone at the time of delivery if they encounter any problems.

Please find their delivery schedule below.

Pick-up

If you live in Melbourne, you can pick up your order from our office in Camberwell by prior arrangement. Please select the 'Pick Up' delivery option during checkout and we will contact you to arrange a suitable time for pick-up once the order has been packed.

What if I won’t be home?

If you may not be home at the time of delivery and would like the wine left in a safe place, please give Authority to Leave (ATL) and any delivery instructions in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button. 

If you have requested delivery with Australia Post and have not given Authority to Leave, a signature will be required on delivery. If you miss the postman, the order will be taken to your local Post Office for collection.

If you have requested delivery with our specialist wine courier (Anonymous Wine Freight), the driver will phone you for instructions if you are not at home at the time of delivery. If he can't contact you, the order will be taken to their local depot and can be re-delivered subject to a $20.00 fee.

Summer Heat Policy

If during hot weather you would like us to delay dispatch of your order to avoid potential heat damage to your wine please let us know. We are more than happy to store your order in our climate controlled warehouse until the weather is cooler. Please add the request in the 'DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS & ATL' at the bottom of the shopping cart, located just above the CHECKOUT button.

Alternatively, we may email you and request to delay dispatch of your order until the weather is cooler. If this happens, you can of course request immediate delivery if you wish.

International Shipping

We deliver wine to a number of destinations worldwide. If you require overseas delivery, please email us with the relevant information and we will advise you if we can deliver to your selected destination and the shipping costs involved.

International orders are supplied GST free. Please be aware that you will be responsible for the payment of all duties and taxes that are levied by your local authorities.

Minimum order requirements apply.