Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

Description

• French oak
• Fresh cherries
• Dark chocolate
• Velvety tannins

The Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir 2019 showcases bright floral aromas as well as fresh cherries. On the palate is an inviting mixture of dark chocolate and juicy summer berries with hints of fresh portabello mushrooms. This complex wine shows both purity and richness with soft velvety tannins and toasty oak influence which completes the wine.

In 2019, 73% of the Pinot Noir fruit for this Reserve Pinot Noir came from two vineyards with deep clay-based soils in the Wairau Valley. Rutherford and Cowley are in the sheltered north-facing Ben Morven Valley. The remaining 27% came from the cooler Awatere Valley, both with free draining windblown silt loess soils on the southern bank of the Awatere River.

Fruit set in the cool spring weather was lower than usual, resulting in the development of open bunches with small flavourful berries. From January onwards, Marlborough experienced a summer of the century, with a spell of long hot dry weather with moderately cool nights providing the perfect environment to ensure physiological and flavour ripeness whilst retaining freshness.