• Dark fruits
• Cocoa & clove
• Silky tannins
• Smooth finish

"A beautifully composed Bordeaux-style red, the fragrant bouquet shows blackcurrant, sweet cherry, vanilla, green olive and hazelnut aromas. The palate displays excellent weight and roundness, well complemented by spicy nuances and fine polished tannins. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2022

Deep purple coloured hues lead to a perfumed nose of dark fruits, cocoa, sweet vanilla and clove spices. The full bodied palate is soft and generous with ripe fruit, silky tannins and a smooth finish.

The 2021 vintage in Hawke's Bay followed an incredible summer, with our red grapes in particular experiencing superb conditions for ripening.

Upon crushing, the grapes were fermented on skins with gentle handling to allow the infusion of flavours from the grapes into the resulting wine. Post fermentation, the wine was pressed to tank then barreled for aging before blending and bottling 12 months later.

Our key focus is to be environmentally responsible and to operate using sustainable practices in order to protect the land for future generations. Villa Maria has farmed organically since 2002 gaining Biogro certification in 2009. Our Organic vineyards are vibrant gardens alive with wildflowers and full of life. The Soler and Te Awa Vineyards are planted on free draining gravel soils well suited to applying organic farming principles.

Food Pairing: Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blends are particularly good when paired with robust, full flavoured dishes both with red meat and without.