Villa Maria Riesling Private Bin 2007

Winemaker's Notes:

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS A pure and delicate bouquet of ripe citrus-lime and spring-blossom aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with intense flavours, lovely juicy length and a zesty lime finish. Great on its own or with light fresh food. VINTAGE The 2007 vintage was characterised by moderate yields and ideal growing conditions. Marlborough experienced a poor flowering in December, resulting in a ‘tempering’ of yields. From the end of January to harvest, rainfall was low and the days were sun-drenched, allowing for fruit to be harvested in prime condition and at the ideal point in its flavour development. VINEYARDS Villa Maria’s Riesling vineyards are scattered throughout both the Awatere and Wairau Valleys of Marlborough. The vineyards are managed to ensure ripe and clean fruit. Timely canopy management activities such as shoot thinning and leaf plucking along with an attention to vine health optimises the opportunity for the ideal vineyard flavours at harvest. WINEMAKING The grapes for this wine were harvested in the cool of the morning, crushed and then gently pressed. The resulting juice was allowed to naturally settle before fermentation. This wine was then fermented using neutral yeasts and cool fermentation techniques, which aided in savouring the delicate Riesling aromatics. The ferment was stopped at just the right time to give a slightly off-dry styled wine. The wine was then blended, lightly fined and stabilised prior to bottling.