La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023

Our allocation of La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 is always limited, and it always sells out. La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 is a barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc from Yoshi and Kyoko Sato's organic estate on Mount Pisa, Central Otago. The wine has sliced mango, light caramel, spice, lemon and apricot with a creamy texture, and James Suckling rated it 96 POINTS. It suits anyone who likes rich, textured white wine.

Schisteux refers to the schist in the vineyard soils. Pour a glass and the aromas on the nose are sliced mango, light caramel and warm spice. The palate is dense yet lively, with a creamy texture. Lemon and apricot carry the finish.

About 3,300 bottles were made, according to Sato's winemaking notes, from half a hectare of Chenin Blanc on the estate. It is a white for red wine drinkers, and one we'd pour with a roast chicken on a cool evening.

What sets it apart is the care in the cellar. The grapes were hand-picked over 3 days in April 2023 and pressed slowly overnight in a basket press. The juice fermented on wild yeast in oak barrels. It then spent 15 months in French and Austrian oak, 19% of it new, and was bottled without fining or filtering.

What it tastes like

This wine has aromas of sliced mango, light caramel and spice.

The palate is dense yet lively, with a creamy texture.

The finish is intense and long, with lemon and apricot.

Style at a glance

• Body: full, with a creamy texture
• Acidity: lively
• Oak: 15 months in French and Austrian oak barrels, 19% new
• Style: rich, creamy, spiced, lively

Food to enjoy this with

This is a wine best enjoyed with great food. Good matches include:

• Roast chicken with tarragon
• Pork loin with apricot stuffing, which picks up the apricot in the wine
• Scallops seared in butter
• Crab linguine with chilli and lemon
• A washed-rind cheese
• A mild Malaysian fish curry: the mango and spice meet the curry's aromatics, and the creamy texture handles the coconut

Who makes it

Sato is the work of Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato. They met in 1998 while working for a Japanese bank in Tokyo, and spent more than 10 years in banking in Tokyo and London. In 2006 they moved to New Zealand to study viticulture and winemaking at Lincoln University. Both started their wine careers at Felton Road under Blair Walter. Yoshi went on to make wine at Mount Edward from 2009. That was also the year of the first Sato wine: 190 cases of Pinot Noir. Kyoko spent 12 years at Felton Road before joining Sato full-time in 2018.

La Ferme de Sato is the couple's own vineyard, planted in 2016 on the upper slopes of the Pisa Range at 295 to 345 metres. The land had been used for sheep grazing and had never seen chemicals. It is farmed biodynamically and certified organic by BioGro. The vines are planted closely together across 3.2 hectares, mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with smaller plots of Chenin Blanc, Gamay and Cabernet Franc. The Satos have made the wine in their own winery since 2019.

About the vintage

Sophie Preece's 2023 vintage report on Central Otago quoted consultant viticulturist Timbo Morrison-Deaker, who described it as the third exceptional season in a row under the influence of La Niña. The final 4 weeks brought a sharp change, and frost fighting was back for the first time in about 3 years. Berries were larger than usual, which lifted yields.

Sugars at harvest came in lower than expected, and natural acidity (malic acid, the tart acid in green apples) higher. Timbo still expected 2023 to be seen as a stellar vintage.

James Suckling found that 2023 performed exceptionally well in the South Island. In his 2024 New Zealand vintage report he named Sato among the excellent wineries of Central Otago, saying its "current releases, mostly 2023s, are excellent."

Critic scores and ratings

• 96 POINTS – James Suckling – JamesSuckling.com, October 2025
  "A decadent chenin, showing sliced mangoes, light caramel and spices. Does this have some botrytis? Fascinating. Dense yet lively with flavor. Creamy texture and an intense finish with some lemons and apricots. Drink now."

When to drink it

James Suckling suggests drinking it now.

Technical details

Where to buy

For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores (7–9 Ballarat Street, Queenstown and 27 Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown), alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.

Questions we are often asked

How was La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 rated?

James Suckling rated La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 96 POINTS.

What does Schisteux mean?

Schisteux refers to schist, the flaky rock found in the soils of La Ferme de Sato on Mount Pisa, where Sato grows its Chenin Blanc.

Is La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 oaked?

Yes. Schisteux 2023 fermented in oak barrels and matured for 15 months in French and Austrian oak, 19% of it new.

Is La Ferme de Sato organic?

Yes. La Ferme de Sato, the Satos' own vineyard on the Pisa Range, is farmed biodynamically and certified organic by BioGro.

How much La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 was made?

Sato made about 3,300 bottles of Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023.

Where can I buy La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023?

The Winery ships La Ferme de Sato Schisteux Chenin Blanc 2023 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, at 7–9 Ballarat Street, Queenstown and 27 Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown.