Villa Maria Single Vineyard McDiarmid Hill Gisborne Chardonnay 2020

Villa Maria Single Vineyard McDiarmid Hill Gisborne Chardonnay 2020French oak Tropical fruit & fig Smokey grilled nuts Seamlessly textured "Gorgeously fruited and beautifully fragrant, showing apricot, grapefruit, vanilla and roasted hazelnut aromas on the nose, leading to a finely expressed and impressively concentrated palate offering layers of silken texture and delicious flavours. Beautifully poised and persistent. At its best: 2023 to 2033" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sep 2021 "Bold and distinctive bouquet with aromas

• French oak
• Tropical fruit & fig
• Smokey grilled nuts
• Seamlessly textured

"Gorgeously fruited and beautifully fragrant, showing apricot, grapefruit, vanilla and roasted hazelnut aromas on the nose, leading to a finely expressed and impressively concentrated palate offering layers of silken texture and delicious flavours. Beautifully poised and persistent. At its best: 2023 to 2033" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sep 2021

"Bold and distinctive bouquet with aromas of toasty smoky French oak with a core of yellow stone fruits, old citrus peel and freshly baked apple. Complex and youthful, fresh and forward. Full-bodied power on the palate with a satin-cream texture and flavours of spicy stone fruit and smoky barrel. There’s a lot of texture from lees and wood tannins, acidity and fruit power. A delicious wine that coats the entire palate with flavour and mouthfeel" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2021

"Rich, concentrated and quite luscious chardonnay with golden queen peach, tree fruits, lime, toasted nut and spicy oak flavours. Typical Mendoza clone intensity and a generous oak influence" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Sep 2021

Capturing the qualities of a spectacular vineyard, McDiarmid Hill offers a medley of tropical fruit aromas, fig and smoky grilled nut. The palate is seamlessly textured, leading to a finish extended by fine acidity. This concentrated wine retains a balance that will appeal for immediate enjoyment but will ultimately benefit from maturation.

McDiarmid Hill is Villa Maria's jewel in the crown Gisborne vineyard, beautifully positioned on an elevated north facing hillside slope in Patutahi. Taking full advantage of sunlight, drying wind conditions, slightly cooler temperatures and natural water drainage, the additional elevation provides a wonderful advantage for producing this consistently outstanding wine. Small arcels of mature dry farmed Mendoza vines provide for blending options, ideal for building complexity in the final wine.

The 2020 McDiarmid Hill harvest was highly regarded and followed a warm and incredibly dry summer that persisted long after the last grapes were picked. Having benefited from cooler evening temperatures in the lead up to harvest which intensified flavour and acidity, harvest of these naturally low yielding vines commenced earlier than normal in March with beautifully clean fruit, paving the way for our Winemakers to capture a sensational vintage.

100% whole bunch pressed. 100% underwent natural/wild fermentation in 228L French barriques (47% new). Matured for 11 months with battonage every 2-3 weeks with 70% malolactic fermentation.