Villa Maria Single Vineyard Southern Clays Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Description

Dry

• Dry style
• Mango & peach
• Rosemary
• Zesty acidity

"A stunning rendition of the variety; showing lifted aromas of feijoa, passionfruit, kaffir lime and white floral notes, followed by a concentrated palate delivering excellent weight and persistency. It's finely textured with bright acidity, making it hugely appealing. At its best: now to 2027" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Mar 2021

"The effusively tropical 2020 Southern Clays Sauvignon Blanc positively bursts with hints of mango, guava and gooseberries. It's medium to full-bodied, gently silky in texture and mouthwatering, with pink grapefruit notes that resonate on the lengthy finish. The overtly herbal tendencies of the grape variety have been tamed by the warm site, leaving behind just enough subtle thyme and bay leaf tinges to provide a savory counterpoint to the concentrated fruit" Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, Jun 2021

"The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Southern Clays captures the spectrum of Sauvignon Blanc aromas from elderflower and gooseberries through citrus and passionfruit as well as black currant and nectarine. It is a powerful yet elegant expression. Hailing from richer soils than the free-draining alluvial floor of the Wairau Valley, the wine has a sense of weight on the midpalate, while its figure is curvaceous, its linear edges rounded, and its acidity balanced, along with a touch of attractive phenolic structure" Rebecca Gibb, Master of Wine, Mar 2022

This sunny, warm and sheltered site produces intense fruit with powerful aromas of fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, intermingled with exotic tropical fruits. The palate has an earthy texture from the dense clay soils, with rich flavours of ripe peach and mango, finishing with zesty acidity.

Southern Clays is a special sub-region in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough. The site is located at the base of the dry eastern foothills. The soil type is predominantly clay which retains moisture throughout the growing season and produces intense textural wines. Sauvignon Blanc grapes require plenty of water throughout the growing season, the large leafy canopy helps produce intense tropical flavours and retain natural acidity.

A near-perfect growing season led up to 2020 harvest with fruit in pristine condition. The summer was dry with high sunshine hours during the day and the cooler nights that are typical for Marlborough. Yields were at their optimum level and the stable autumn weather allowed us to extend the hangtime of the fruit on the vines to achieve physiological ripeness.

Skin contact for 4-6 hours to enhance structure. Selected yeast strains ideally suited to cool, slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks to retain distinctive sub-regional aromatics. Carefully monitored time on yeast lees to build palate weight and creamy texture.