Cellar Selection Sauvignon Gris
β³ Drinking Window
2023 - 2026
π½οΈ Food & Wine Pairings
Seared scallops, aromatic Thai chicken salad, and herb-roasted pork tenderloin.
β¨ Technical Specifications
Villa Maria, founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, has long been a pioneering force in New Zealand's wine industry. While Marlborough is globally celebrated for Sauvignon Blanc, this Cellar Selection bottling highlights its rarer, pink-skinned relative, Sauvignon Gris. Originating in Bordeaux, Sauvignon Gris thrives in Marlborough's free-draining alluvial soils and cool maritime climate. Villa Maria crafts this wine to emphasize texture and complexity, utilizing cool fermentation in stainless steel vessels with a portion undergoing lees contact. This technique coaxes out a luscious, rounded mouthfeel that beautifully balances the grape's natural stone-fruit richness and delicate floral aromas with a crisp, refreshing finish.
πΎ About the Producer
Established in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, Villa Maria evolved from a modest five-acre leased plot in MΔngere, Auckland, into one of New Zealand's foremost vinous institutions. Acquired by Indevin Group in 2021, the estate continues its legacy of regional and stylistic breadth, sourcing exceptional fruit from premier microclimates across Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, and Auckland. Viticultural operations emphasize environmental stewardship as a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, complemented by dedicated organic vineyard blocks. Production is delineated into tiers ranging from accessible Private Bin and Cellar Selection expressions to vineyard-designated benchmarks like the Seaspray and Southern Clays Sauvignon Blancs, alongside cellar-worthy Gimblett Gravels Bordeaux blends and single-vineyard Chardonnays. The winemaking team balances modern temperature-controlled stainless steel ferments for pristine aromatic vibrancy with targeted French oak maturation and lees contact for texturally layered, terroir-precise bottlings.