Villa Maria Wairau Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022
- Decanter
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A classic representation of Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, bursting with tropical fruit characters found in this warmer subregion. This wine displays powerful aromas of blackcurrant and passionfruit. The palate has an enticing array of ripe citrus fruits mixed with pungent herbs such as fresh rosemary, finishing with subtle acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
There is nothing loud about this Sauvignon Blanc. Its varietal notes of fern and boxwood are gentle and subdued on the nose, with lemon taking the lead. The palate, likewise, is defined by bright, fresh and pithy lemon notes that are wonderfully concentrated. It is on the finish that the Sauvignon grassiness shines, yet still bathed in lemon. A real step up from bolder Sauvignon Blancs; less obvious but all the more expressive for that.
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James Suckling
Aromatic nose of green apples, passion fruit, guava and nettles. Tropical, bright and crunchy, with a medium body and creamy texture. Rich and fruity finish.
Other Vintages
2021-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling - Vinous
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Wine
Spectator
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.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.