strolabe Wines is a Marlborough estate defined by precision, place, and a quiet depth of understanding. Founded in 1996 by winemaker Simon Waghorn, Astrolabe reflects decades of thoughtful engagement with Marlborough’s subregions — a label built not on volume, but on site expression, restraint, and the clear voice of New Zealand’s coastal vineyards. The name, borrowed from the 19th-century French exploration ship Astrolabe, speaks to discovery, navigation, and the careful reading of natural elements — themes that run through every cuvée.

Astrolabe sources fruit from across Marlborough’s Wairau, Awatere, and Southern Valleys, working closely with long-term growers whose sites are selected for soil structure, altitude, and maritime influence. From the stony alluvial soils of the Wairau to the wind-swept, mineral slopes of the Awatere, each vineyard brings nuance — contributing to wines that are detailed, site-reflective, and built with natural energy. All vineyards are farmed sustainably, with increasing movement toward regenerative and organic practices.

Winemaking at Astrolabe is driven by texture and balance. Sauvignon Blanc — the estate’s flagship — is fermented cool in stainless steel, with careful blending of parcels to highlight regional character. A portion of wines are lees-aged to add weight and finesse. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Albariño are made with minimal intervention, with select lots seeing wild ferment and neutral oak. Pinot Noir, sourced primarily from the Southern Valleys, is hand-picked, wild-fermented in small lots, and aged in seasoned French oak, built more on line and lift than density.

The wines are luminous and composed. Sauvignon Blanc leads with citrus peel, green apple, saline lift, and a mineral, slightly herbal edge — a style that favours structure over sweetness. Pinot Gris and Albariño are textural and dry, offering stone fruit, spice, and chalky drive. Chardonnay is restrained and flinty, while Pinot Noir shows wild berries, savoury herb, and fine tannins, shaped by clarity rather than oak. Across the range, the wines carry a signature of balance, subtlety, and Marlborough light.

What defines Astrolabe is its elemental clarity — a producer that listens closely to site and season, and crafts wines that carry both brightness and composure.

These are wines that don’t rush to impress — they unfold with calm confidence, guided by nature, nuance, and the long view of craft.