After over 35 years of being New Zealand’s most awarded and in a now vastly more competitive industry, Villa Maria has managed to hold fast to its award-winning dominance and achieved an almost clean sweep of the red wine categories at the Hawkes Bay A&P Wine Awards.
Villa Maria Estate dominated at the show winning eight trophies all up, including the Reserve Champion Wine of the Show.
Villa Maria’s Group Chief Winemaker Nick Picone said the results reflect Villa Maria’s focus on quality: “The 2013 vintage is widely acknowledged as Hawkes Bay’s finest red wine vintage ever, so for Villa Maria to have won almost all the top red awards is an amazing acknowledgement that our wines are the best of the best from 2013. Our team puts a lot of effort into our premium Hawkes Bay vineyards and as owners of a significant portion of the prestigious Gimblett Gravels area, we’re fortunate to be able to create some very special wines from what these vineyards proffer,” he said.
Chairman of Judges Rod McDonald said the winning wines stood out for their “plushness, balance and approachability” which are all key attributes Villa Maria sets out to achieve in their winemaking philosophy.
The dominating trophy results were:
Reserve Champion Wine of the Show
– Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013
Champion Commercial Red Wine –
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Champion Export Wine of Show –
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Other Premium Red Varietals and Blends Trophy –
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Malbec 2013
Red Blends Cabernet Sauvignon Dominant Trophy –
Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Red Blends Merlot Dominant Trophy –
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Merlot Trophy –
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013
Syrah Trophy –
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2013
