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Wine Details
Villa Maria Black Birch vineyard sunrise

2022 6x75cl

Marlborough

Our 2020 Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir has subtle aromatics of dried herbs such as thyme and rosemary intermingled with red summer fruits such as cherries and berries. On the palate, a subtle toasty hint of oak nicely frames the firm but juicy fruit and fine velvety tannins.

Vineyards

The Pinot Noir fruit for this wine originates from a diverse range of vineyard sites in both the Awatere and Wairau Valleys in Marlborough. The climate in Marlborough has high sunshine hours but temperatures during the growing season are regulated by the cooling ocean influence.

Vintage

This wine is grown in vineyards throughout Marlborough's Wairau & Awatere valleys. The 2022 growing season started off well with very little frost pressure during spring. Flowering went without a hitch, due to healthy soil moisture levels and settled weather, leading to balanced crop levels and vibrant, lush canopies. The start of summer was slightly cooler; February was below the long-term average in temperature with intermittent rainfall, the weather eventually settled allowing for optimal ripening conditions.

Winemaking

Fruit is harvested at night in cooler temperatures and then destemmed and transferred to open top stainless steel tanks for 4-5 days of cold soaking to extract aromatics. A mixture of indigenous and cultured yeasts are used with ferments, peaking at 32-34°c to extract the desired colour and tannins. After fermentation, the wine spent 10 months in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barriques on full lees to add palate weight and texture.

Enjoy with:

  • Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
  • Pizza/Pasta
  • Mild Creamy Cheeses
  • Oriental
  • Spicy
Perfect with soft creamy cheeses