Villa Maria
Villa Maria 2001 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
- Best Buy
- $15
Fans of New Zealand’s SBs will like this wine’s racy nose, which is packed with minerals, some stoniness, melon, and a hint of grassiness. Citrus is in full force in the mouth, aided by a touch of green herbs and a white-pepper spice. The finish is elegant and offers hints of grapefruit. It’s a youthful, fresh wine; one that will go well with salads or fish.
— W.E.
(8/1/2002)
Villa Maria 2003 Clifford Bay Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
- $30
Villa’s top Sauvignon delivers the goods in 2003, offering up rich and creamy tropical fruit flavors offset by hints of green pepper. Finishes long and tangy. Only 200 six-bottle cases imported.
— J.C.
(8/1/2004)
Villa Maria 2002 Botrytis Selection Reserve Noble Riesling (Marlborough)
- $45
Fairly full-bodied and a bit alcoholic, testament to the immense ripeness achieved. Apricot, pineapple and lime notes provide a fruit salad of flavors that linger on the finish.
— W.E.
(8/1/2004)
Villa Maria 2006 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
- $19
The first SB of the new vintage to cross our tasting table, and hopefully a sign of good things to come, with bold gooseberry aromas and hints of melon, peach and sweat. Medium-bodied, with a creamy mouthfeel and a long, spicy finish. Drink now.
— J.C.
(9/1/2006)
Villa Maria 2006 Cellar Selection Riesling (Marlborough)
- $19
Wonderfully forward and fruity, this is simply a delight to taste. Apple and lime aromas are rounded out by just a hint of peach, while the flavors of ripe peaches and apples are kept focused by stabs of citrus. Medium-bodied, with a touch of sweetness to balance the crisp acids, this would make a great apéritif.
— J.C.
(9/1/2007)
Villa Maria 2005 Keltern Single Vineyard Chardonnay (Hawke's Bay)
- $30
From a relatively young vineyard in Hawkes Bay, this is a round, fruit-filled Chardonnay framed by toasty, mealy flavors from barrel fermentation and lees stirring. Orange, melon and apricot fruit are just slightly buttery, with a touch of warmth on the finish.
— W.E.
(7/1/2007)
Villa Maria 2008 Clifford Bay Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
- Online Exclusive
- $30
VM’s Clifford Bay bottling almost always has a pronounced herbal-vegetal streak running through it, and the 2008 is no exception. The bell-pepper note is balanced by melon and fig in this medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and assertive on the finish.
— J.C.
(12/1/2009)
Villa Maria 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot (Hawke's Bay)
- Cellar Selection
The lifted nose of herbs and tea gives an extra shot of complexity to this concentrated wine. Intense cherry and cassis fruit ends in a long finish that blends drying tannins with mouthwatering acids. Best from 2014–2020.
— J.C.
(6/1/2010)
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