Villa Maria Ngakirikiri Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
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Parker
Robert -
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Wine
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Upon pouring, this deep ruby colored wine yields notably intense and pure aromatics of cassis, red and black plum and floral violet scents, with fresh ground coffee bean, fragrant dried thyme and cedar spice nuances also vying for attention. Layers of concentrated flavors emerge and flow beautifully across the palate from start to finish, with optimally ripe fruit, fine-grained tannins and supportive oak enhancing overall texture and richness at each point along the way. This full bodied and age worthy wine will benefit and gain additional complexity from careful cellaring over the next 15-20 years.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, the 2013 Ngakirikiri Cabernet Sauvignon (the first release of this new label) has a deep garnet-purple color, with intense cassis, blueberry and blackberry aromas over notes of pencil shavings, cloves, lavender and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, the taut, elegant palate has good ripe tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with lovely poise.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Spectator
Concentrated espresso and dark chocolate notes add a velvety, fine-grained texture to black licorice, fresh earth, cassis and sage details. Robust and dense on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 10 cases imported.
Other Vintages
2019- Vinous
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Suckling
James
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
Founded in 1961 from humble beginnings, Villa Maria is a story of pioneering spirit and a desire to champion the best of New Zealand wine.
From the cool climate region of Marlborough, famous for crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, to the sun-soaked Hawkes Bay producing world-class reds, their wine is a unique expression of their extraordinary land, passion for excellence and bold spirit.
Their portfolio of highly awarded wines is the most stylistically and regionally diverse in New Zealand, setting them apart and consistently delivering a rewarding wine experience.
As the leading winemakers in Marlborough with an unwavering focus on quality and sustainability, Villa Maria wines are distinctive, vibrant, and most importantly, delicious.
Today, Villa Maria is globally recognized and adored for bold, expressive, and exceptional New Zealand wines.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.