Villa Maria, Private Bin , 1999, Sauvignon Blanc Review

If you want a good Sauvignon Blanc then you have to take a look at New Zealand wines. New Zealand has been producing top white wines for many years now but it is almost impossible to find any of the better vineyards represented in stores near me.  Therefore, when I recently saw the name Villa Maria on a restaurant winelist, I was shocked and felt like I had found a long lost friend.

Maria, Maria, Maria.....
In the glass, the wine is a clear pale yellow with a slightly green tinge. The aroma is of a quite fruity wine.  My first impressions are of fresh, ripe pineapple with a little vanilla and some ripe gooseberry in the back. I love gooseberries and had first tasted them a few years ago when a former colleague who was born in New Zealand gifted me with a jam. Green gooseberry are very similar in taste to currants - just slightly tart and wonderful in jams and jellies.....and wine!

A swirl broadened the tropical fruit and revealed a bit of a herbaceous aspect. Tasting was a pleasure and had the sweet flavor of the pineapple up front, with the gooseberry providing a slight acidic nip mid-mouth. The finish was smooth and long.

Cost and Availability
I paid $10 for a glass and felt it worth every penny. This vintage is supposedly out of circulation, though as I found, restaurants may have a bottle or 2 hidden away.  Keep an eye out for it on winelists.

Recommendations
While this wine is meant to be drunk young, it did not suffer any over the years. I paired this Maria with a light seafood and pasta dish quite successfully.

The Bottom Line
If you can possibly find the 1999 vintage, don't miss your chance to try it!
I enjoyed this wine so much that I have ordered a current vintage from an on-line vendor. Watch for that review....soon, I hope!