Villa Maria Pinot Noir

Villa Maria Vineyards

Vineyard Description             

The 2008 Cellar Selection is a blend of selected vineyards in the Awatere and Wairau Valleys of Marlborough. These vineyards are meticulously managed to ensure that the most intensely flavoured and healthy fruit is obtained. An array of Pinot Noir clones were used to provide a selection of blending options. Crop levels were manipulated to between 2.0 & 3.0kg/vine depending on vine balance. This coupled with timely practices such as leaf plucking and careful water management has produced fruit of intense colour, flavour and ripeness.

Winemaking

Selected Pinot Noir clones were individually hand harvested, destemmed and cold soaked for a period of up to ten days. Specific parcels of wine were allowed to ferment naturally while others were inoculated with selected yeast strains. The cap was hand plunged four times daily to ensure soft extraction of the fruit. To intensify the flavour, colour and mouthfeel the fermentation temperatures were allowed to reach 32 Degrees Celsius. The wines were pressed to French barriques and rested over winter until spring when malolactic fermentation occurred. The wines again rested in oak until February when they were blended.

Winemaker's Comment

A perfumed bouquet of red and dark cherries, plums and spice notes. Fruit driven and elegant, with long layers of flavour, full-bodied and well-balanced with fine, grainy tannins. This wine is concentrated and rich – an elegant Pinot Noir with finesse and complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now but with careful cellaring will continue to develop for another five to eight years.

History

The Villa Maria story is one of absolute passion. The winery was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich who, through his dedication to quality, has led Villa Maria to become the New Zealand wine icon it is today.

Passionate from a young age, wine was a central part of his upbringing. “Being Croatian, wine is part of my blood,” says Fistonich. ‘It’s always been a part of life and I’m pleased to have spent my career pursuing this life-long passion.'

Many things have changed since George Fistonich won his first award at the Easter Show in 1962. The half-hectare of grapes in Mangere has turned into vineyards and wineries in four regions around New Zealand. Wines of a dozen grape varieties are exported to 50 countries around the world.

But Fistonich could not have imagined how far Villa Maria, and indeed the New Zealand wine industry itself would progress in the years to come. In the early 1970s he started to employ staff and the company began to expand rapidly.

A new winery in Auckland was essential for Villa Maria to meet the increased domestic and export demand for wines and has been designed to allow for long-term growth.

Then Prime Minister Helen Clark officially opened the new winery in February 2005.

Marlborough Wine

CLIMATE

Located on the east coast with mountains to the west, Marlborough is one of New Zealand’s sunniest and driest areas.  In these bright, but relatively ‘cool’ climate conditions, the grapes have the advantage of a long slow, flavour-intensifying ripening period.  The average daily temperature during summer is nearly 24 degrees C but clear cool nights keep acid levels high in the grapes.

Marked diurnal (day/night) temperature variations are a key factor behind the ability of Marlborough grapes to retain both fresh, vibrant fruit and crisp, herbaceous characters.  The contrast between day and night also helps to enhance the colour development in the skins of Pinot Noir.

SOILS            

Within the region, viticulture has been developed primarily on sites with moderate low fertility and a noticeably stony, sandy loam top soil overlying deep layers of free-draining shingle, as found in the viticulturally developed areas of the Wairau and Awatere Valleys.  These shallow, fast draining, low fertility soils help to produce a lush, aromatic ripe wine because they reduce the vines vigour.  Where a more herbaceous style is desired, sites with greater water retentive soils and moderate fertility are chosen.

Pinot Noir

Great Pinot Noir creates a lasting impression on the palate and in the memory. Its aroma is often one of the most complex of all varietals and can be intense with a ripe-grape or black cherry aroma, frequently accented by a pronounced spiciness that suggests cinnamon, sassafras, or mint. Ripe tomato, mushroom, and barnyard are also common descriptors for identifying Pinot Noir. It is medium to full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet neither acidic nor tannic, with substantial flavor despite its delicacy. The most appealing quality of Pinot Noir may be its soft, velvety texture. When right, it is like liquid silk, gently caressing the palate. Pinot does not have the longevity in the bottle of the darker red wines and tends to reach its peak at five to eight years past the vintage.