Villa Maria “R & D” (Research and Development) Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Marlborough
Bottle 308 of 840


This is a wine I have been dying to try since I first heard of its existence at a tasting at Regional Wines earlier in the year. It would have happened earlier except I simply could not find it anywhere until I happened to stumble upon it (and get the heads up about where to get it) in one of my favourite Wellington cafes, Nikau. Coming from Villa Maria’s Waldron Vineyard it underwent a wild fermentation in five year old French barriques with a full melolactic fermentation followed by a year and a half in oak. It has a toasty, yeasty, nutty nose which alludes to sweetness and is reminiscent of Marlborough Chenin Blanc (the '01 Forrest Estate to be exact) rather than Sauvignon - other than a hint of lemon and pear it has no discernable fruity characteristics. The palate delivers on the promises made by the nose - it is a warm, oak-driven wine (without the oak overpowering its other characteristics) which despite the clean palate is very viscose and very textural and a hint of sweetness to it. The flavour profile was complex to the point of being complicated and thus difficult to pin down precisely. The pear characteristics shone through, as did lime sherbet and nutty oak (walnuts perhaps - this would explain the slightly bitter finish) which was followed by a salty, oyster-esque and mineral driven back palate. This is a highly enjoyable wine but one, I fear, that is a little too out there and not to the tastes of ‘mainstream’ New Zealand.

It’s Sauvignon Blanc Jim, but not as we know it.