Villa Maria, a New Zealand based winery, is marking a milestone in their 54 years of history by producing the first vintage of “Ngakirikiri”, which means ‘the gravels.’ This flagship wine is part of the Hawkes Bay Vintage of 2013. It represents the pinnacle of the winery’s winemaking achievements and is positioned at the top of Villa Maria’s portfolio, only to be bottled when exceptional vintages produce truly outstanding wines for consideration. Not only that, it sets a new benchmark for quality as it is an exclusive age worthy red wine that features Bordeaux varietals.
Ngakirikiri is worth paying attention to as well because 2013 in Hawkes Bay will go down as one of the regions greatest red wine vintages. The reason? That year the region was declared in drought by February and summer extended well into March with blue skies that were seen throughout the harvest. Then, cooler nights moderated warm daytime temperatures, therefore, allowing for steady sugar and flavor accumulation across the vineyards. As you pour the wine, you will encounter intense and pure aromatics of cassis, red and black plum and floral violet scents accompanied by fresh ground coffee, fragrant thyme and cedar spices. From start to finish you will experience beautiful layers of flavors that tie perfectly together in this full bodied wine that, with careful cellaring, will benefit and increase in complexity over the next 15-20 years. Purchase, save, enjoy.
