Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2020

Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2020French oak White stonefruit Biscuit & hazelnut Style & length "Gracefully elegant and stylish, showing rockmelon, peach, vanillin oak and oatmeal characters with a hint of lemon zest on the nose. The concentrated palate displays flowing texture and rounded mouthfeel, brilliantly structured by vibrant acidity, finishing impressively long and engaging. At its best: now to 2030" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2022 In youth, this concentrated wine is pale in

• French oak
• White stonefruit
• Biscuit & hazelnut
• Style & length

"Gracefully elegant and stylish, showing rockmelon, peach, vanillin oak and oatmeal characters with a hint of lemon zest on the nose. The concentrated palate displays flowing texture and rounded mouthfeel, brilliantly structured by vibrant acidity, finishing impressively long and engaging. At its best: now to 2030" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2022

In youth, this concentrated wine is pale in the glass and displays aromas of white fleshed stone fruit, flowers, biscuit and hazelnut. Intricate barrel fermentation influences meld with flint characters and acidity on the palate, forming a refined marriage of style and length. Cellar this wine with confidence for up to 5-8 years from vintage.

The 2020 vintage was highly regarded with a warm and dry summer that persisted well after the last grapes were harvested, allowing picking to occur at optimum ripeness without any disease pressure. This wine features a sensational collection of sites in close proximity to Bridge Pa which are fastidiously managed to produce Reserve quality Chardonnay.

Hand harvested on different dates the various clones and sites provided an exciting array of blending options. Gentle whole- bunch pressing allows for the finest quality of juice to be run directly into French oak barriques for spontaneous (wild) fermentation. Once complete the individual parcels mature on yeast lees with regular Battonage for up to 11 months. The finest barriques are then identified and blended together in preparation for bottling.