Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

Aroma - Ripe dark and red cherry, brambly fruits, spice and leather, with a hint of smoky oak.

Palate - A full-bodied wine with round, mouth-filling flavours of plum, brambly fruit, dark cherry and a hint of savoury herbs. The oak integrates nicely with the fruit and the silky and linear tannin structure.

In his Province range, Simon emphasises the varietal intensity created by Marlborough’s leafy vineyards, ripe fruit and cool-climate winegrowing conditions. Simon takes the classic varietal styles of the region and, through delicate fruit handling and astute blending, produces benchmark wines.

Climate: The growing season was warmer than usual and made tricky by two heavy rain events followed by extended moist conditions that necessitated a rushed harvest. Because of the low cropping levels, the grapes were ripe and ready to harvest before the rain had caused any deterioration in fruit quality, leading to typical flavour and aromas in the wine. Soils: Free-draining silty loams from the undissected older terraces, some with limestone, and loess-based clay slopes. Harvest Date: Between 24th March and 17th April, 2017.

Harvest Date: Between 14th March and 5th April, 2019.

Vine Management: Standard trellis, with pruning to two canes and vertical shoot positioning. Vines are trimmed closely, well tucked and lightly leaf plucked. Cluster thinning is used to ensure light crops with evenly ripened and balanced fruit.

WINEMAKING Hand-picked fruit was de-stemmed, crushed and cold soaked for five days then fermented at warm temperature with wild yeast in small open-top vats. Traditional submerging of the ‘cap’ by hand-plunging was followed by a light pressing.

The pinot noir was aged in French oak barriques for 10 months.