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Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc
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medium-bodied
Taste: mild & fruity, smooth
Goes With: seafoods & chicken dishes |
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Villa Maria
The Villa Maria story is one of absolute passion. 100% New Zealand and family owned Villa Maria Estate was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich who, through his dedication to quality, has led Villa Maria Estate to claim the coveted title of New Zealand’s Most Awarded Wines. George attributes the company’s success to his team’s absolute commitment and unrelenting passion to create the best wines possible. In the last 18 years, five of Villa Maria’s winemakers including George himself have received a Winemaker of the Year award.
Vintage
Flowering was exceptional with warm sunny weather following right through into January. Some rain towards the end of January meant that cluster size grew larger than normal for Sauvignon Blanc, which contributed to the larger than expected crops. Fine warm and dry conditions right throughout the ripening period en¬sured the harvesting of flavorsome clean fruit.
The Appellation
Marlborough is the main source of New Zealand’s renowned Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. With long hours of sunshine and cool nights, Marlborough is ideal for producing concentrated wines full of ripe fruit flavors. The wines produced are complex, fruit driven wines, with typical Marlborough characteristics. As Decanter magazine stated, “Sauvignon Blanc is the grape variety which put New Zealand on the world wine map.”
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 Vineyards
Fruit for this wine was sourced from vineyards across the Marlborough region. A blend of fruit grown in the Wairau and Awatere valleys spanning a range of different meso-climates were incorporated. The majority of the vineyards were grown utilizing the VSP training method, which ensures sufficient fruit exposure providing for ripening and allowing for healthy clean fruit.
Winemaking
Harvested at varying levels of ripeness (between 21 - 24 Brix) over a 4-5 week period provided for an array of blending options. The fruit was crushed, pressed and cold settled at 6ºC for 24 hours before being racked clean of press solids for fermentation. Both neutral and aromatic yeast strains were used to inoculate the clear juice. The fermentation was conducted at 12-14ºC to ensure maximum retention of delicate flavor and aromatics.
Winemaker’s Comments
Bursting aromas of ripe passion fruit, fresh citrus lime and an exotic herbaceous complexity. A juicy mid-palate with fullness and length, finishing with a refreshing crisp acidity.
Serving Suggestion
Enjoy chilled with fresh seafood, shellfish, salads and vegetable dishes or simply on its own.
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