2023 Astrolabe Pinot Noir, Marlborough

Round, juicy and poised, showing cherries, strawberries and some orange peel on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Crunchy berry character and a lot of succulent red fruit in the finish. Drink now.

92 points Kevin Davy for James Suckling, October 2025

The 2023 Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir comes from a season that despite its viticultural challenges turned out well for Pinot Noir thanks to the sunny and dry autumn weather that followed the wet and humid summer.

It is made from a variety of clones with the vines growing across the wider Marlborough wine region from the Waihopai and Brancott Valleys in the Wairau’s Southern Valleys (50%) to the windy Awatere and Kēkerengū Coast (33/17%).

The grapes were handpicked in the first half of April, de-stemmed, crushed and cold soaked for five days prior to a warm fermentation in small open top vats with indigenous yeasts. The pressed parcels maturated for ten months in well-seasoned tight-grain French oak barrels.

Enjoy this silky and slippery Pinot with seared quails served with a pomegranate molasses glaze and freekeh tossed with seasonal greens and roasted beetroot, or a roasted cauliflower dressed in cherry agridolce and finished with crispy chickpeas and whipped feta.

About this producer

An astrolabe is an ancient astronomical instrument that was used to make a diverse range of calculations. A mariner’s astrolabe, modified for use upon a ship, was used by early navigators to determine latitude by measuring the altitude of a celestial object.

Astrolabe is a Marlborough-based family business of the Waghorn family. When career winemaker Simon Waghorn wanted to start his own label in 1996, he chose the name Astrolabe as he liked the connotations of exploration and discovery.

The grapes are sourced from ten local families who live on their land and farm sustainably. The sites are spread across the Marlborough sub-regions, presenting an opportunity to work with produce from a diversity of soil profiles and mesoclimates.

The operations are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing NZ, and their Astrolabe Farm and Wrekin vineyards are certified organic. They have also been certified carbon neutral through Toitū and were one of the foundation members of Appellation Marlborough Wine, a group of growers seeking to safeguard the quality of the region’s wines.