Villa Maria The Attorney Pinot Noir

To mark their 60th anniversary Villa Maria released a new wine into their ‘Icon’ series. Now as the name might suggest it’s got to pretty good to join the club. And The Attorney Pinot Noir joins the likes of Villa Maria Ngakirikiri (Bordeaux blend) and Keltern (Chardonnay) and quite simply the best of the best of the best!

We’d go as far to say as not only is this Villa Maria’s finest ever Pinot Noir – it sits among NZ’s Pinot elite!

Located in Marlborough’s Southern Valley the vineyard was originally owned by lawyer Chris Finlayson (and big time Pinot lover!), who was then Attorney General of New Zealand. Villa were pretty giddy to get the chance to buy the vineyard from Chris. Originally called the Finlayson vineyard they thought it was only fair they named it after him!

A north-facing, sheltered site with clay-based soil it’s an organically certified vineyard that produces very small bunches with berries full of concentrated fruit. It’s a very damn special site for producing world class Pinot and backed by rave reviews from two of NZ’s best known critics…

95/100 & Top Rank (Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review)
“Vibrant and slightly edgy pinot noir with dark cherry, plum, savoury, spice and a suggestion of floral and violet character. An elegant, supple and obviously youthful wine with high-energy and obvious cellaring potential.”

5 Stars (Michael Cooper)
“One of the region’s finest reds yet, the organically certified 2019 vintage (5*) is designed to rank alongside Villa Maria’s Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ngakirikiri The Gravels, from Hawke’s Bay, as an ‘icon’ label. Hand-picked from vines planted in 2002 on a north-facing block with clay soils in the Southern Valleys, it was matured for 15 months in French oak casks (35 per cent new), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Deep ruby, it is mouthfilling, sweet-fruited, complex and supple, with a lovely array of youthful, ripe cherry, plum, spice, herb and nut flavours, a real sense of depth through the palate, and a silky-textured finish. Best drinking 2025+.”

Just 3700 bottles have been made. Make sure you lay your hands on a bottle or three while you can.