Villa's Singles

by Tom Cannavan, 06/08

Villa Maria, one of New Zealand's biggest and most popular producers, has recently released a series of ultra-premium Sauvignons Blanc from single vineyard sites in Marlborough.

Villa Maria says "Each of these wines has a very distinctive character reflecting the terroir of its grapes and their individual micro-climates - these are one-off parcels of limited production. Not dissimilar to Burgundy and its Premiers Crus."

When I last visited Marlborough I spoke about the ongoing effort I discovered, to define specific terroirs and ensure that Marlborough Sauvignon did not become a "one trick pony." It looks like this occasional series of wines is Villa Maria's attempt to demonstrate the differences in sub-region and micro-climate on Marlborough Sauvignon.

I tasted two of the four wines in the 2007 release, though the 'Ensor' Sauvignon Blanc is also available from Budgens, and the 'Gateway' is available from Majestic. All of the wines are priced at Ł12.99

the wines

Villa Maria Graham Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007
The Graham Vineyard is located in the coastal Dashwood area of the Awatere Valley in Marlborough. It lies beside the Awatere River and is less than one kilometre from the sea. The vineyard soils consist of silt and sandy loams overlying gravel. This is the most pungently herbaceous Sauvignon I've tasted from Villa Maria, the huge bell pepper, pea-shoot and green bean character dominating very ripe, unctuous and tropical fruit. On the palate the fireworks of the nose are (thankfully) subdued, but there's still a vestigial green and grassy cut beneath tropical, mango and guava fruit that is sweet and mouth-filling, even though a big, precise core of acidity cuts a swathe through the finish. In all honestly, a style that's too flamboyant and vivacious for me, but a remarkable tour de force of ramped-up typical Marlborough style. Ł12.99, Waitrose.

Villa Maria Taylors Pass Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Taylors Pass is located on the northern banks of the Awatere river, a relatively warm site, 30km south of the Wairau Valley. Soils range from silty loam over gravels to very stony gravel. The nose here is much more subdued, and much more elegant than the Graham Vineyard bottling, with a touch of talcum powder before juicy, ripe gooseberry and lime, with just a faint background trace of nettles. On the palate it is clean and precise, with the pure lime and grapefruit flavour immediately making the mouth water. There's a hint of opulence, and of more mango and pineapple-like exotic fruit, but the core of citrus and tight acidity draws it back and keeps the finish fairly cool and much more food-friendly than the Graham. Of the two its perhaps less flamboyant, but its certainly the wine I'd prefer to drink. Ł12.99, Tesco.