Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Pinot Gris

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Pinot Gris is a New Zealand white wine made with 100% Pinot Gris grapes from the Marlborough wine growng region. Villa Maria’s Single Vineyard wines are only made in small one-off parcels in exceptional vintages. They are a unique expression of the terroir and vintage characteristics of their own particular microclimates and represent the pinnacle of achievement for Villa Maria’s winemakers. 

Villa Maria is probably one of the most famous New Zealand winery and, alongside Cloudy Bay, is responsible for the initial popularity of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the the UK. The origins of Villa Maria stretch back to 1961 when, aged 21, Sir George Fistonich leased 5 acres of land from his father, planted vines and started making wine. Since those first cuttings took hold in the soil out in Mangere, near Auckland, Sir George has been determined to be at the cutting edge of quality wine-growing. Today Villa Maria is available in more than 50 countries around the world and has claimed the title of New Zealand’s Most Awarded Winery for over thirty consecutive years.

Perched high on the bank of Marlborough’s Awatere River, the Seddon Vineyard is an exposed site that enjoys warm daytime and distinctively cool evening temperatures. Planted on free-draining sandy silt loams, the site’s unique climate and soil structure results in an intensely flavoured wine. This picturesque terrace is exposed to wind throughout the year, which results in devigourated vines and low yields. The vines are trained on a vertical shoot-positioned trellis and leaf plucking is employed around the bunch zone to provide additional fruit exposure. As a direct result of this particular site and viticultural management, the vines produce very small-berried bunches with intensely concentrated flavours. The grapes are hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. There is 20% natural fermentation in seasoned oak barriques which adds texture & complexity, 70% inoculated stainless steel tank fermentation to retain freshness. 4 months on yeast lees.