Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir is a current-release red blended from specially selected vineyards across Marlborough's Awatere and Wairau Valleys, part of Villa Maria's popular Private Bin range. Marlborough's long, settled ripening season and cooling maritime influence give the Pinot Noir grapes real purity of fruit, which the winery captures in a bright, approachable style bottled at 12.5% ABV.
The nose shows ripe cherry and raspberry aromas intermingled with subtle spiced notes of cinnamon and clove. On the palate, flavours of cranberry and juicy pomegranate come through, with an intriguing hint of freshly roasted coffee bean adding savoury depth. The finish is soft, with fine, almost cocoa-like tannins that round the wine off gently rather than gripping.
Villa Maria was founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, who began the winery on a small patch of Auckland land while still a teenager. Still family-owned, it has grown into one of New Zealand's most awarded wineries, drawing on vineyards across the country's finest regions, with its Marlborough fruit forming the backbone of some of its most celebrated Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
