Taylors Pass Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken, pan-seared scallops in butter sauce, or creamy wild mushroom risotto.
✨ Technical Specifications
Villa Maria, founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, is one of New Zealand's most celebrated and pioneering wineries. The Taylors Pass Chardonnay showcases a single-vineyard expression from the rugged Awatere Valley in Marlborough. Located on the north bank of the Awatere River, this unique vineyard features stony, free-draining gravelly soils sheltered from harsh winds. The cool climate of this sub-region slows grape ripening, allowing the Chardonnay grapes to develop intense flavor concentration balanced by a vibrant, flinty acidity. In the cellar, the wine is typically fermented in French oak barriques using indigenous yeasts, followed by maturation on lees with regular stirring. This meticulous process imparts a rich, creamy texture, seamlessly integrating notes of ripe stone fruit, toasted brioche, and a distinct mineral backbone that reflects its stony riverbed origins.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich, Villa Maria stands as one of New Zealand's most celebrated and pioneering wine producers. From its historic roots in Auckland, the winery has established extensive vineyard holdings across the premier winegrowing regions of Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, and Gisborne. Renowned for its steadfast dedication to sustainability and quality innovation, Villa Maria played an instrumental role in shaping modern New Zealand viticulture and championing regional expressiveness. The estate's diverse portfolio ranges from the globally recognized Private Bin series to site-specific single-vineyard and Reserve wines, excelling in vibrant Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, refined Pinot Noir, complex Chardonnay, and structured Hawke's Bay red blends.