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Wine Review

2002 Villa Maria Group Single Vineyard & Reserve Chardonnays

By Raymond Chan
The release of the super-premium ‘Single Vineyard’ Chardonnays over that of the Reserve wines has created a dilemma for Villa Maria. Firstly the proliferation of top-end chardonnays, and then the need for educating the wine enthusiast and drinker in identifying and appreciating the differences has its real problems. The Europeans have taken centuries to recognise and promote terroir successfully. Can Villa Maria do it more quickly?

At least the quality of the ‘Single Vineyard’ and ‘Reserve’ styled wines from the Villa Maria Group is at the very highest level. This must be a fantastic starting point for wine lovers to be attracted to and follow these wines. With the 10 wines tasted, among them, they had amassed 27 gold medals and 8 trophies to date. Surely there is no comparable result from any other winery in New Zealand. Obviously 2002 was a great vintage for Chardonnay.
All the concept needs now is identifiable and consistent vineyard character, great marketing and receptive wine enthusiasts and press!

The 10 Villa Maria Group wines were served blind in two flights. One flight of four Marlborough and one Gisborne wine, the other flight of five Hawkes Bay Wines. They were preceded by two Louis Jadot white burgundies from the 2001 vintage. Louis Jadot is distributed by Villa Maria.
My notes follow:

The Louis Jadot White Burgundies


Interestingly, these two wines set the scene for the following ten Villa Maria Group wines. The Puligny akin to the Marlborough wines, the Meursault similar to the Hawkes Bay wines.

Louis Jadot Puligny-Montrachet ‘Combettes’ 2001: Pale colour, with fine nutty, mealy aromas, a little oxidative, but tightly bound. Dry and fine-grained on the palate, quite smooth and rich, with an elegance and finesse. Long and fine on the finish. 18.5-/20

Louis Jadot Meursault ‘Genevrieres’ 2001: Light golden straw colour. Soft, full and honeyed with hints of butter. Broader, softer and fuller on the palate. Quite lush, with ripeness. Nutty and a touch oxidative also. Very long on the finish. 18.5+/20

Flight One: Marlborough & Gisborne


A common thread of citrus flavours and noticeable acidity came through in these wines. The Gisborne wine was surprisingly not easily identifiable among the Marlborough wines. It was thought that the winemaker’s signature or ‘house style’ was the dominant feature.

Villa Maria ‘Waldron Vineyard’ Marlborough Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with some golden hues. Powerful, intense nose, quite toasty and complex, possibly from the native yeast fermentation. Powerful on the palate with a complex tropical fruit, mealy, toasty amalgam. Rich and fleshy, and a little alcoholic too. Makes a statement. 19.5/20

Villa Maria ‘Taylors Pass Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with a light edge. A full, soft and gentle nose, a little nutty, but with excellent depth and concentration. Quite soft and broader on the palate, ripe melon fruit. With lovely integration, but still with real depth. 18.5+/20

Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with a pale edge. Full, but tight nose of minerals and citrus fruits and nutty notes. Rich through the palate with the mineral and citrus flavours. Quite lush with good acidity, and very finely featured through the finish. 18.5+/20

Villa Maria Reserve Gisborne Chardonnay 2002: Straw-yellow with lemony hues. Quite a steely nose, with citrus fruits and minerals. Oak noticeable. A ripe and powerful aroma. Full, fleshy and juicy on the palate, quite upfront in flavour. The acidity is wonderfully poised. Full in body and long on the finish. 18.5/20

Villa Maria ‘Fletcher Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with a golden hue. Shy nose that is brooding, but unfolds with air time. Full, rich citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Full on the palate with fleshiness and power, yet with superb balance too. Very deep and weighty. A plush wine that unfolds more in the glass. 19.0/20

Flight Two: Hawkes Bay


Grouped together for their common regionality. In that sense, the elegance of concentrated grapefruity flavours came through. Yet the differences must also reflect their varied fruit sources within Hawkes Bay. And winemaker signature was evident if not dominant.

Esk Valley Reserve Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with green hues. Cooler grapefruit and citrus aromas with powerful toasty oak. Great presence and depth. Strong and robust palate, raw, even. Certainly one of the most powerful of the wines tasted, and one that impresses with sheer weight, depth and size. 19.5/20

Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with a pale edge. Soft, but full nose with subtlety and finesse. Lovely toasty flavours, but gentle and with excellent balance of components. Quite integrated. It would be easy to overlook this wine, and maybe the score indicates I have done just that. 18.0+/20

Villa Maria ‘Keltern Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow with golden hues. Quite an aromatic nose, lovely lifted grapefruity characters and a sweetness. The palate continues the lifted note to the fruit. Very rich and lush, yet combines an elegance to the concentration and power. Very, very long. The most preferred wine of the tasting for the group. 19.0/20

Vidal Reserve Chardonnay 2002: Straw yellow, quite pale in comparison with the other wines. Full on the nose with a steely element to the fruit. Beautifully supple and textured on the palate, incredible balance. Smooth and fine, and unfolds with an amazing array of flavours of fruits and oak. Very rich, and very long on the finish. 19.5+/20

Villa Maria ‘Waikahu Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2002: Light straw yellow colour. Full, dense nose of tropical fruits, quite broad in expression. Full complex flavoured wine with tropical fruits and citrus notes. Plenty of power and oak. A touch alcoholic resulting in a rounded palate with a little hollowness. Soft and approachable now, but no hurry. 18.0+/20

An Afterthought


There has been some discussion that some of these wines are in a decline and past their best. It was thought unanimously by the group that all of these wines had only begun to reach their plateau. There is at least 5-7 years fine drinking ahead for all of these wines. And with ‘screwcap’ the possible life of these wines could be long indeed.
We have kept a set of all of these wines for a repeat tasting to be held in a couple of years.
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Staff Recommendations

DAVID

Easter weekend I flew up to Auckland and had a great time visiting family. I made sure I went to Maison Vauron, a must if you enjoy French wines and also Galbraiths to try a few craft beers.

RICHARD

Roast Chicken for dinner evidently. Which Kumeu River Chardy shall I choose?
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