After years of occasionaly tasting Astrolabe, I finally got a chance to taste (most of) their full Sauvignon range at my leisure.
Imported by Mersch.
Marlborough, Durvillea, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010
Tropical fruit cocktail with a light streak of minerals. A fun, bracing despite a sense of sweetness. (Aug. 2, 103)
I paid about 70 NIS.
Awatere Valley, 2012
An incredible twist on the paradigm: cat's piss on a guayava bush! I figured this might be wickedly tropical on the plate, but it's quite restrained and saline, although it riffs off the tropical fruit, as you'd expect from a New Zealand Sauvignon. (Aug. 5, 2013)
Kekerengu Coast, 2010
The aromatic and flavor profile are quite similar to the Awatere, although greater maturity has lent it more depth and restraint. This seems, to me, the better wine for food, but I prefer the vibrancy of the Awatere. (Aug. 6, 2013)
Both cost about 150 NIS.
Taihoa Vineyard, 2010
This takes the style to a higher level of intensity and depth, and you can get lost in the aromatic nuances in a way you can't, really, with the Awatere. For example, in the wisp of light smoke which morphs into sea breeze. Barrel-fermented with no hint of oak in the final product (unless that's where the smokiness came from), with a richness tightly contained inside its steely frame. Excellent. (Aug. 22, 2013)
About 300 NIS.
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