Building upon 60 years of experience growing some of the best grapes in Aotearoa New Zealand and crafting some of the wines that helped make The Land of the Long White Cloud one of the world’s most famous wine producing countries, Villa Maria created the Single Vineyard and Icon ranges. These have set new benchmarks for quality, typicity and character across the different regions Villa Maria spans in New Zealand.
The spectacular growth, driven by innovation and relentless commitment to quality, which Villa Maria experienced since its humble beginnings, created a unique pool of expert knowledge on the many regions and terroirs of New Zealand. ‘There is significant experience within the Villa Maria viticulture and winemaking team and from that experience comes a deep understanding of our vineyard sites and what each of them deliver’ says Patrick Materman, Head of Winegrowing at Villa Maria. The acute awareness of the quality potential of specific plots was the motivation behind the creation of the Single Vineyard and Icon wines, highlighting the expressiveness of the fruit such vineyards yield and the fact that they express themselves above regional and varietal characteristics. ‘In selecting plots for the Single Vineyard range, we have focussed on sites which provide a true sense of place in the resulting wines and that deliver the highest quality,’ continues Materman.
Patrick Materman, Head of Winegrowing at Villa Maria
Precision and attention
Each of the Single Vineyard and Icon wines showcases the attributes unique to their respective plot, delivering quality and character in equal measure. The specific conditions require, in turn, ‘attention to detail and a nuanced approach to how each of these blocks are managed,’ explains Materman. ‘Every vineyard has particular challenges, including spring frost risk, water availability, wind exposure, susceptibility to certain pests or diseases, yield and vine balance, unique soils or certain micro-climatic conditions.’ Again, experience and expertise are essential, with technical acumen playing a role alongside empirical knowledge and careful observation.
Balance, concentration and complexity are the primary goals. ‘Across all of the Single Vineyard blocks yields are managed through pruning and crop thinning to achieve the right number of shoots.’ Leaf plucking will reduce disease pressure and aid ripening, ultimately influencing the phenolic structure of the wines. Achieving the right vine balance through pruning, nutrient, water and yield management will help deliver clean, ripe fruit with a concentration of flavour. What is required to achieve this vine balance will be unique to each vineyard site and that’s where the experience, skill and passion of the team provides a great benefit.’
The work in the cellar is a mere continuum of the efforts in the vineyard: the focus of the Single Vineyard and Icon wines is expressing ‘where they are grown’ and, therefore, retaining that sense of place is key. Materman explains that ‘the winemaking is sympathetic to the fruit; the practices set out to showcase or enhance the vineyard traits, rather than shadow or detract from them.’ This philosophy impacts picking decisions, pressing regimes, yeast strain and fermentation decisions, oak selection and blending.
Challenges and opportunities
Mounting challenges in viticulture worldwide – and New Zealand is no exception – have raised concerns about the ongoing potential for balance and quality of some of the world’s most renowned vineyards. ‘Whilst New Zealand viticulture is still firmly classified as cool climate, we are mindful that through any climate change, retaining the vibrant fruit expression and juicy natural acidity that are synonymous with New Zealand wine is key,’ concedes Materman. ‘This may mean adapting our viticulture and winemaking practices accordingly; something we are acutely aware of. In general, we are seeing an earlier start…
Source : https://www.decanter.com/sponsored/villa-marias-single-vineyards-and-icons-a-winemakers-perspective-499325/
