Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2006

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Winery:

Villa Maria Estate

Varietal:

Sauvignon Blanc

Region:

New Zealand > Marlborough

Type:

White Wine

Color:

Drink Dates:

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UPC:

 

User Tags:  fruit, citrus, crisp, acidic, grass, color descriptors, lemon, other berries, gooseberry, other subtropical fruits 

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What to Expect

Sauvignon Blanc has a long history in France, and is even one of the parents of the most famous grape of all, Cabernet Sauvignon. Though having achieved high levels of acceptance and popularity in France, Sauvignon Blanc was more commonly associated with specific regions or villages, Pouilly Fume for example. With its arrival in new Zealand, and the country's ability to draw out a level of intensity from the grape, it was poised for bigger and better things. New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc is often suggested as an alternative to Chardonnay. Its incredibly bright flavor, snappy acidity and fresh, easy feel are a perfect contrast to the rich, buttery full-bodied style of Chardonnay that is most popular. The citrus, pineapple and kiwi fruit tones most common in New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc are paired with intensely green aromatics that recall gooseberries, freshly cut grass, and jalapenos, offering an unusual and unusually compelling blend of savory and sweet that has found a huge following.

Winemakers Notes

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
Ripe lime and gooseberry characters dominate the nose with hints of passionfruit, lychees and nettles. The wine is concentrated with vibrant fruit and mid palate richness, finishing rich and racy with excellent length and crispness (August 2006).

VINTAGE
Marlborough experienced a drier than normal year helping keep disease levels very low. The accumulated growing degree-days were slightly higher than the long-term average; this was due to warmer night-time temperatures as opposed to higher daytime temperatures. The fact the fruit was read more...so clean enabled the harvesting to be at the optimal time so as to capture the ideal vineyard flavours.

VINEYARDS
The vineyards that provide the fruit for this wine are situated in 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. The fruit was harvested in the cool of the night to ensure it arrived at the winery in pristine condition.

WINEMAKING
Each vineyard was harvested at optimum ripeness and processed separately to provide the greatest blending options. The fruit was gently pressed, cold settled and racked for fermentation. Cool fermentation techniques were employed to retain flavour and aromatics. After fermentation the wines remained on yeast lees for a few weeks to build mouth feel. The wines were then racked to be blended, gently fined, filtered and immediately bottled, capturing flavour freshness and richness.    (hide)

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