Villa Maria, Private Bin, Hawkes Bay, Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

• Vintage: 2018
  
• Origin: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
  
• Taste guide: Full bodied, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit flavours, hints of cherry and spice, oaked
  
• 75cl - 13% - screwcap
  

Villa Maria was established over 50 years ago and is New Zealand's largest independent winemaker. The fruit for this wine was sourced predominantly from vineyards located across the Hawkes Bay region. An array of soil profiles combined with high sunshine hours and low rainfall makes the Hawkes Bay New Zealand’s ‘home’ to the French Bordeaux varieties Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. A significant portion of the grapes are grown in Villa Maria’s vineyards in close proximity to Gimblett Road. The free draining gravelly soil here is ideal for producing red wines with enhanced structure, flavour and colour.

Fruit was selected from several different parts of the Hawke's Bay region to make this ripe blackcurranty wine, which is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. Each variety was separately vinified using specific yeasts and aerated throughout fermentation and then pressed off skins. The wines were then aged for 12 months in French and American oak barriques prior to final blending and bottling.

This superb, Bordeaux style wine, exhibits rich blackberry and raspberry notes on the nose, leading to a palate packed with juicy red cherry and cedar spice with an underlying tobacco character. These flavours are balanced with fine grained soft tannins. The barrel ageing gives a sweet-vanilla dimension on the finish which is long and satisfying.

This wine is rich and complex and has and good length, making it a perfect match for a variety of red meats and cheeses.The winery indicates that this wine will be drinking well for up to 5 years from Vintage.Villa Maria was voted "New Zealand's Most Admired Wine Brand" by Drinks InternationalSells for up to £13.49 elsewhere - at Binendwines it is just £8.95.