Villa Maria Reserve Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a dry wine that can best be described as fresh and crisp. With its light straw color and aromas of herbaceous and citrus notes, this wine is perfect for those looking for a bright, refreshing drink. The grapefruit and passionfruit flavors are balanced by a slight mineral undertone, achieved by sourcing the grapes from the unique microclimate of the Clifford Bay region. This wine is a perfect companion for grilled seafood or herbaceous salads. The Villa Maria winery has carefully crafted this wine to showcase the best qualities of the sauvignon blanc grape and provide a delightful experience for wine lovers.

Tasting Notes

This 2018 Reserve Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc encompasses everything fresh and vibrant about Marlborough from the cooler and windier Awatere Valley. Pungent aromatics of lemongrass, jalapeño and fresh herbs leap from the glass, with the classic flavour of limes and the crunch of freshly picked garden peas. The cooler climate in the Awatere Valley is influenced by Mt Tapuae-o-uenuku with alpine winds flowing down the valley and from cooling easterly breezes coming inshore from Clifford Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This retains the natural acidity and emphasizes chalky-seashell and mineral texture on the finish.

About the Winery

Villa Maria is New Zealand’s most popular and most awarded winery today. George Fistonich was only 21 years old when he started this wine label. He got 5 acres of land in Mangere, Auckland, from his father, and set about to give wings to his winemaking passion. The very next year, he made his first wine from the grapes planted on this land, and he named the wine, Villa Maria.

For almost a decade, George managed this label almost single-handedly, with some support from his wife, Gail. He employed a blend of modern and traditional winemaking methods, and planted the grapes that Auckland’s soil allowed, to make his wines. Today, almost six decades after the company’s inception, you can find almost 250 people working in the wineries and vineyards. Close to 28 grape varietals are cultivated here. Villa Maria’s white wines find a presence in 60 countries across the globe today.

The grapes for Villa Maria wines are cultivated in some of New Zealand's most popular wine regions, such as Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Auckland and Gisborne. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir are used for making red wines. For the whites, varietals, such as Chardonnay, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling and Pinot Gris are used. If you love organic wines, you will find them quite a lot under Villa Maria’s label. Marlborough and Hawkes Bay are some of the premium regions from where Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc are used for making organic wines.

Apart from red, white and rose wines, Villa Maria also offers other categories of wines, such as sparkling wines, dessert wines, aged wines, open the cellar wines and organic wines. All of these are highly popular among wine lovers in New Zealand and across the globe. The vineyards are carefully chosen for growing different varietals that reflect the nature of the rich terroirs.

https://www.villamaria.co.nz

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