Astrolabe Chardonnay 2024

Drink it now or cellar for 5 years. No need to decant. Founded by Simon Waghorn and his wife, Jane, in Marlborough, New Zealand in 1996, Astrolabe is a family-run winery, now run by Simon and Jane with their two daughters. Their vineyards span various subzones of Marlborough, offering a variety of terroirs from which they make expressive, high-quality wines. The Astrolabe Chardonnay is a blend of four clones from three different vineyards (one in the lower Wairau Valley, one on the clay slopes of the Southern Valley, and one in the Awatere Valley). After manual harvesting and whole-cluster pressing, fermentation takes place according to the traditional Burgundian process in barrels with indigenous yeasts. The finished wine then ages on its lees in 500-liter oak barrels. The result is a complex and mineral wine, combining the liveliness of New Zealand whites with the structure of Burgundy Chardonnays. In the glass, it reveals a medium straw color with golden highlights. Its aromatic profile opens with notes of stone fruit and melon, followed by delicate buttery and vanilla hints. On the palate, it is round and dry, with a creamy texture and a perfectly integrated minerality. The finish is long and recalls toasted okay notes. It's an extremely food-friendly wine: it pairs well with mushroom or scallop risotto, veal scallops, or roast poultry.