Villa Maria Black Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 750ml

The Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 showcases bright floral aromas as well as fresh black cherries and red raspberries. 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 chalky dense tannins and a gentle acidity to complete the wine. With correct cellaring, this wine will age gracefully, slowly releasing more fruit weight and savoury characters with bottle maturation.

Vintage 2017 had colder weather in spring that led to a longer than usual flowering season, resulting in a looser bunch structure and smaller bunches. Summer temperatures were unusually mild for Marlborough, regulated by cooler easterly breezes and light cloud cover. Intermittent autumn rains slowed ripening which meant our harvest plans had to be flexible whilst winemakers waited for dry weather periods for our grape tannins to fully ripen and Pinot Noir flavours to concentrate.

In 2017, 82% of the Pinot Noir fruit for this Reserve Pinot Noir came from three vineyards with deep clay-based soils in the Wairau Valley. Rutherford and Cowley are in the sheltered north facing Ben Morven valley, with the dry farmed Campbell Vineyard at the upper end of the Omaka Valley. The Taylors Pass and Seddon vineyards are in the cooler Awatere valley, both with free draining windblown silt loess soils adjacent to the Awatere River.