ASTROLABE
WREKIN Chardonnay 2020 750ml

Fruit from the Wrekin vineyard has been an important component of my Marlborough Chardonnay for over a decade. This site is situated within a larger area known as the Southern Valleys, in the clay southern hills of the Wairau Valley. The clay soils are good for water-retention and contribute to the textural mouthfeel.

The chardonnay at the Wrekin vineyard is on a very sunny, northern-facing slope, where the Wrekin valley meets the Fairhall valley. This block was established under organic principles.

The fruit was hand-picked, whole cluster pressed, and fermented in barrel with high solids. The wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation as it aged in French oak puncheons. This wine has considerable influence from aging on lees with frequent bâtonnage. Maturation in larger format puncheons slows down the maturation, allowing for a tighter wine with greater potential for aging. I have also found the deeper sediment of lees in the puncheon to produce a greater autolytic influence.

Simon Waghorn — Winemaker