“All the power this wine has comes from depth and concentration, not from extraction or alcohol. A wonderfully elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that will age exceptionally well,” writes Krebiehl about the Villa Maria Ngakirikiri 2019.
Taylors Pass vineyard
Villa Maria, founded by Sir George Fistonich in 1961, is one of New Zealand’s biggest wine brands. Owned since 2021 by Kiwi wine industry giant Indevin, Villa Maria Wines, especially its Private Bin series, are widely distributed in UK supermarkets. With this kind of popular appeal, it is easy to forget that this household name can also play at the very top – and has done so for a while.
Pioneering in every way
Villa Maria did not start exporting wines until 1988, around the same time it was also the first winery to pay growers for the quality of their grapes, not just the weight. But as early as 1979, George Fistonich had used the term ‘Reserve’ to segment his offering and thus also set Villa Maria up to offer single vineyard wines – not by default like a small winery making wines from single vineyards – but by choice in order to underline quality credentials.
Seaspray vineyard – metres from the water’s edge
It all started with the Keltern Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay, planted in 1999 and first made in the 2002 vintage. Since then, this single vineyard wine has been joined by a handful of exceptional wines from selected single sites in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, while Keltern itself has moved up one notch into Villa Maria’s Icon Wine category.
Defining an icon
It was in 2017 that Villa Maria launched its 2013 Ngakirikiri from the Ngakirikiri vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawke’s Bay – to mark the 25th anniversary of purchasing it in 1988. In 2022, the year of the 60th vintage at Villa Maria, then saw the release of the third icon wine, The Attorney Pinot Noir 2019. Today, the single vineyard and the icon wines are real statements, not only about New Zealand’s regions but also about Villa Maria’s elegant style.
So how were the new releases tasting?
Villa Maria Seaspray Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, 14% ABV
The grapes for Seaspray are sourced from the Graham Vineyard, just where the Awatere River runs into the sea. The fruit used to go into the Clifford Bay Reserve Sauvignon Blanc – until its quality and individual character could no longer be ignored. However, since the vineyard is leased rather than owned, it has this apt name due to its proximity to the ocean. RRP £17.99
A hint of smoke combines with a milky note. This soon dissipates and reveals immense creaminess with overtones of salty oyster shell, pea shoots and fresh green asparagus. The palate is immediately alive with vivid lime zest which frames and delineates a wonderfully rich note of ripe passionfruit. An astonishing mix of concentration, richness and utter freshness. Extended lees ageing lends a creamy texture that makes this amount of acidity and zest possible. I would love to taste this in three to four years. Gorgeous fruit meets electric freshness.
Villa Maria Keltern Chardonnay 2021, Bridge Pa Triangle, Hawke’s Bay, 14.5% ABV
“Keltern is one of the most iconic Chardonnay vineyards in New Zealand,” says Natalie Walsh, Villa Maria’s market manager. “George Fistonich loves Chardonnay and wanted to bottle it individually. It has won numerous awards ever since. We have a library of back vintages, they all age wonderfully.” The Keltern vineyard is a mix of silt, loam and river gravel. Being inland, Keltern is a warm site, but cool winds come off the mountains, creating a wonderful contrast. RRP £32.00
A wonderfully juicy, almost floral sense of sundried hay and straw opens the nose, fragrant and fresh, complemented by ripe Amalfi lemon and sweet, fresh cobnuts. Most alluring. The palate has a liveliness and energy propelled by ripest lemon notions, without an ounce of fat, despite 46% of new French oak. This is textured but soaring with freshness and carries its 14.5% lightly. It is intense and concentrated but as trim and strong as a ballet dancer. The long finish is dominated by lemon.
Taylors Pass Pinot Noir 2019, Marlborough, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, 12.5% ABV
The Taylors Pass vineyard lies further inland along the Awatere River, on its northern bank, it is warm and sheltered but benefits from cool air flows. Fermented with wild yeast, 15% of whole bunches were used. It was aged in 41% new French oak for 14 months. RRP £30.99
Toasty oak is the first impression, pervading ripe notes of dark berry coulis on the nose. On the palate the fruit is fresher, more tender, but still tinged with that dark fruit of the forest aromatic. The body is beautifully slender, concentrated but edged with mouth-watering and alluring freshness and softly crunching tannins. This is sleek and aromatically intense with a lasting finish that shows a lovely flicker of undergrowth amidst its bright acidity.
Villa Maria Ngakirikiri, Hawke’s Bay 2019, 13.5% ABV
This vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels was bought in 1988 and those who had a hunch that it might be a prime site for Cabernet Sauvignon were proved right. The varietal proportions change from vintage to vintage and 2019 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. It was aged for 20 months in 65% new barriques. RRP £75.00
A gorgeous note of ripe blackberry on the nose is joined by a wonderful notion of leather and touch of graphite, but all is framed within that aromatic fruit. The palate is pure and intense, shimmering with layers of blackberry, blueberry and plum, here and there a little touch of toastiness brushes against the subtle vanilla notes. The tannins are ripe and superfine on a sleek body. All the power this wine has comes from depth and concentration, not from extraction or alcohol. A wonderfully elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that will age exceptionally well. The finish is one long echo of blueberry.
These four wines along with the rest of the Villa Maria portfolio are sold and distributed in the UK by Hatch Mansfield. Hatch Mansfield is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
