2025 Astrolabe Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

The 2025 Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc is herbal and grassy, with crushed shells, coriander leaves, lemon zest and brine. In the mouth, the wine is spicy, loaded with flavor and distinctly Awatere in character. This is an excellent wine. Drink 2026 to 2027.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, April 2026

Vivid and succulent, with a nose of lemons, fresh pears and some crushed stones. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and character. Zesty and textured, with a persistent finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. 

93 points James Suckling, October 2025

A very expressive wine that shows off the spice, herbs and tropical notes of the variety. Winter melon, kiwifruit and yellow guava meet with thistle, shiso mint and cucumber melon. There are pops of Thai basil herbs and some fleshy peach in the mid-palate. A wine with lots of detail throughout. Drink 2025 to 2028.

92 points Shanteh Wale, April 2026

A brisk, bright wine with aromas of freshly cut grass, green capsicum and ripe Meyer lemon. There's an appealing note of soft green herbs too. A lighter-bodied style of sauvignon blanc with a mouth-watering line of acidity. Dry and persistent. Drink 2025 to 2028.

90 points Jane Skilton for The Real Review, October 2025

Simon Waghorn has been crafting wine in Marlborough since 1994 and is widely regarded as one of the region's most thoughtful winemakers. His fascination with the distinct character of Marlborough's sub-regions led him to release the first Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc under the Astrolabe label in 2005, and the wine has since become a benchmark expression of this lesser-known but increasingly respected corner of Marlborough.

The Awatere Valley sits to the south of the more familiar Wairau Valley, and the differences are significant. Cooler, windier and drier, with clay soils over stony ground, the Awatere produces Sauvignon Blanc of a distinctly different character — more herbal and mineral in focus, with leafy green and savoury qualities that set it apart from the riper, more tropical fruit profile the broader Marlborough style is known for. Waghorn blends from vineyards on both sides of the Awatere river each vintage, capturing the full spectrum of what the sub-region offers rather than a single site perspective.

The 2025 is precisely this: focused and expressive, with jalapeño, lime zest, nettle and lemongrass on the nose alongside crushed shells and brine. The palate is linear and pure, with herbal and citrus flavours building through bright acidity to a savoury, dry finish with genuine persistence. 

This style is tailor-made for food. Try with grilled fish tacos, green Thai curry or a summer salad packed with peas, fennel and mint. It's also a natural with shellfish, particularly green-lipped mussels or clams with garlic and lemon.

Sustainably certified and vegan friendly.