Astrolabe Wrekin Chardonnay 2020

Astrolabe Wrekin Chardonnay is a rich, textural single-vineyard Chardonnay from the clay hills of Marlborough's Southern Valleys. Apricot, honeysuckle and hazelnut meal lead into bright lemon, nectarine and beurre bosc pear, with vanilla, fresh butter and smoky oak adding depth. The palate is dry and medium-bodied, combining an oily, lees-shaped texture with fresh acidity and a chalky mineral finish. Hand-picked organic fruit and French oak fermentation give it concentration without losing its poise. Now showing attractive bottle development, it remains a fine match for pan-fried scallops, roast chicken, cauliflower cheese or flaky white fish.

What the winery says:

The Chardonnay was grown by Jan and Andrew Johns at Wrekin Vineyard, a north-facing site in Marlborough's Southern Valleys with tight clay soils over ancient glacial outwash. The fruit was hand-picked on 2 April 2020 and whole-bunch pressed, with only the free-run juice retained. Fermentation took place in French oak puncheons and barriques using selected and wild yeasts. Frequent bâtonnage, full malolactic fermentation and nine months of barrel maturation built texture and autolytic complexity. The wine was bottled unfined on 10 February 2021 and contains 13.4% alcohol, 1.1 grams per litre of residual sugar and 5.1 grams per litre of total acidity.

What the experts say:

David Walker Bell, 95/100 (2020 Vintage)
“A bright golden straw colour in the glass. The scent shows lemon, apricot, satsuma, peach, vanilla, pear, brioche and hazelnut.”

Cameron Douglas MS, 93/100 & Excellent (2020 Vintage)
“Aromas and flavours of citrus and peach, baked apple and tangerine, a vanilla custard creamy quality and core of pure fruit with floral overtones.”