Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Chardonnay

You shall not pass! Unless it’s Taylor’s Pass, in which case come on in and help yourself a lovely big glass of a seriously lovely Chardonnay from Middle Earth’s finest Chardonnay producer, Villa Maria.

Their Single Vineyard series are wines produced from exclusive, small parcels of land and in this case their Taylor’s Pass site on the north bank of Marlborough’s Awatere River. Not for the first time this site has proven to be a hot bed for truly world class Chardonnay for the Villa crew.

It’s all hand picked fruit, whole bunch pressed, entirely barrel fermented for nine months in oak. It’s what they like to call an “elegant Chardonnay, stylish finesse, savoury French oak, flavours of apricot, grilled white peach.”

Scoring 5 Stars with Michael Cooper writing for the NZ Listener, Cooper said “Estate-grown in the Awatere Valley, this elegant hand-picked wine was fermented and aged in French oak barriques and puncheons. Fresh and weighty, it has strong, vibrant citrus and stonefruit flavours and a long savoury, rounded finish. Gentle mealy, biscuity notes add complexity. Already delicious, it’s well worth cellaring. (14% alc/vol) $50”

We like to think of it as your citrusy, slightly smoky style Chardonnay – very, very tasty indeed! The more elegant style Chardonnay like this pairs best with dishes like pan fried fish or sautéed scallops in light buttery, creamy sauces. Drink now to 2028.