ASTROLABE PINOT GRIS 2024

Astrolabe Pinot Gris is packed with Autumn fruits – baked pears especially with a hint of nougat. As with all Astrolabe wines, there is a touch of class here.

Winemaker notes (2024 Vintage)
"Aromas of citrus peel, poached pear and peach with light spice. This is a pure, crisp and dry wine with a fine minerality and delicacy of structure. Pear, quince and peach flavours dominate.

For my Marlborough Pinot Gris, I blend from sites across a wide range of the Marlborough winegrowing region. My blend centres on north and south bank Awatere, with fruit from the Wairau Valley and Kekerengu Coast complementing the intensely aromatic Awatere core. When crafting my blend, I pay close attention to the fill-in and layering of the different flavour spectrums and aromas.

I try to capture the sense of lovely poached pears, light stone fruit and bright red apple and follow through with a dry, mineral finish. Most of the grapes are hand-picked and delicately whole cluster pressed to add fine texture, weight and minerality. We machine harvest the balance of fruit at night to retain as much fruit freshness as possible. I use the most delicate press cycle to avoid the extraction of harsh phenolics and to retain fruit purity. The hand-picked portion is fermented on solids to add a delicate texture and enhance the spicy notes on the nose. The palate weight comes exclusively from the high solids ferment and fruit concentration."

94/100 Susie Barrie MW & Peter Richards MW (UK), Susie & Peter New Zealand Wines of the Year 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"What we like about New Zealand Pinot Gris is its potential versatility. And if you’re looking for a wine to pair with lightly spiced fusion dishes, it’s hard to beat. The best examples, to our mind, are those with a touch of residual sugar, or at the very least some kind of textural richness or succulence – which this wine definitely has (5.3 g/l residual sugar for the geeks out there). It’s a pan-regional blend, made with fruit from grower families in Awatere, Kēkerengū Coast and Southern Valleys. The bunches are mostly hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed, with only the highest quality fraction of free-run juice used. The result is quite a unique take on Pinot Gris. Subtle spiced pear aromas and bruised red apple flavours combine to give a wine that keeps you coming back for more."

Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS, February 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"A seductive semi-aromatic bouquet filled with scents of fresh green pear and apple, layers of white pepper spice and saline mineral quality. There’s a floral quality as well with a direct link to the ripeness of fruit and varietal drive. Just dry with a light residual sweetness though this is hardly noticeable with a decent acid line and ripe fruit commanding the the most attention on the palate. A wine with warmth and generosity, so serve it cool, not cold. Balanced, lengthy and well made with best drinking from day of purchase through 2030."

92/100 Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com, December 2024 (2024 Vintage)
"As per usual for Astrolabe, this 2024 Pinot Gris is concentrated and spicy, with loads of flavour and texture on the palate. There are notes of gooseberries, a hint of white strawberry, nashi pear and green apple, with lemon barley and brine. All good things here, and the wine comes recommended."