Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017

Description

This 2017 Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir has subtle aromatics of dried herbs such as thyme and rosemary intermingled with blackberries and blackcurrants. On the palate, a subtle toasty hint of oak nicely frames the firm but juicy fruit and fine velvety tannins.

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. The 2017 growing season was colder than usual; the mild temperatures elongating the ripening period. Intermittent autumn rain meant our harvest plans had to be flexible whilst waiting for ripe Pinot Noir flavours to develop and the tannins to evolve.

Fruit is harvested at night during 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.