Gold Medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2022
Villa Maria produce a huge volume of Sauvignon Blanc at their Marlborough winery under many labels and price points. This Wairau Reserve sits at the top tier, representing the very best.
Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"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."
Reviews for the 2021 vintage below…
5 Stars & 95/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, September 2021 (2022 Vintage)
"It's superbly fruited and instantly appealing on the nose showing passionfruit, mango, Gala apple and lime peel aromas, followed by a intensely expressed palate displaying excellent fruit purity and vibrancy. Super long and delicious. At its best: now to 2030."
5 Stars Michael Cooper (2021 Vintage)
"An authoritative wine, it is typically ripe and zingy, with impressive weight and length of flavour, and tends to be fuller in body, less herbaceous and rounder than its Clifford Bay stablemate (above). The contributing vineyards vary from vintage to vintage, but Peter and Deborah Jackson's warm, stony vineyard in the heart of the valley has long been a key source of grapes, and sometimes a small part of the blend is barrel-fermented, to enhance its complexity and texture. The 2021 vintage is still very youthful. Pale lemon/green, it is weighty and sweet-fruited, with strong, ripe, passionfruit/lime flavours, balanced acidity, and a dry, lasting finish. Best drinking mid-2022+."
Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, August 2021 (2021 Vintage)
"Fruity and layered, varietal and herbaceous, complex and spicy, salty and mineral. Aromas and flavours of fresh sage and tropical fruits, red apple, sweet lemon and fresh golden kiwifruit. Dry, crisp, salivating and complex with flavours that reflect the bouquet, a core of fruit contrasted by acidity then mineral flavours of wet stones and sea air. Balanced, well made, lengthy and ready. Step it up a notch and explore a fine example of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Best drinking from late 2021 through 2025+."