Still 100% New Zealand and family owned, Villa Maria Estate has gone from strength to strength over the last 50 years and is now distributed worldwide. Dedication to quality remains unwavering and as a result, Villa Maria Estate has claimed the title of New Zealand’s Most Awarded Winery for over forty consecutive years.

The Keltern Vineyard was established in 1999. Sitting east of Maraekakaho and hugging the western edge of the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Ngaruroro river, this unique site has over time become synonymous with exceptional Chardonnay, earning it’s pace amongst New Zealand’s finest with an un-paralleled consistency in blind tasting success across multiple formats since the initial 2002 vintage.

Soils & Viticulture: Located east of the Maraekakaho region in Hawkes Bay, directly in the path of cool air currents flowing from a mountain range to the west, the Keltern Vineyard is an inland site, buffered by the Ngaruroro River. Established on an ancient riverbed planted in 1999, the vineyard has silt loams layered over red metals, including large free-draining gravel stones. Vines range in age up to 21 years, mainly cl15, cl95 and cl548, and at maturity are pruned and thinned to one bunch per shoot to target 7T/Ha.

Weather in 2020: With a few hurdles in spring including frost and hailstorms Hawkes Bay was off to a nervous start. Once spring was navigated the weather settled and a sensational harvest ensued. The Chardonnay harvest was off to a record early start on the 27th February, a good 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule. The Keltern vineyard Chardonnay harvest was completed by the 2nd March, setting further records! Fruit in pristine condition allowed for efficient handpicking, and the wine making would capitilise by whole bunch pressing and fermenting a higher percentage of fruit with indigenous yeast to create compelling wines. There are some true classics in the making here!

Technical Information:
Grape: 100% Chardonnay | Single vineyard
Region: New Zealand
Sub Region: Hawkes Bay
Vineyard: Keltern
Bottled: 24th March, 2021
Malolactic: 60%
Total Acidity: 6.87g/l
Residual Sugar: 1.08g/l
Alcohol: 14.0 %
pH: 3.26
Drink: Now to 2024

Tasting Note: Displaying a brilliant straw and lime-tinted hue in the glass, the nose offers a fragrant and complex medley of white nectarine and subtle complexing sulphides, complemented by underlying notes of flint and toast. A sleek, tightly woven palate gradually unfolds, leading to a finish with genuine length and class. This wine will develop further complexity, mineral and toast like characters with careful cellaring.

In 1961, at the age of 21, Sir George Fistonich told his Dad he was quitting his career in carpentry to try his hand at making wine. He leased five acres of land from his father, planted one acre with grapes and started making wine under the name ‘Villa Maria’. Since those first cuttings took hold in the soil out in Mangere, near Auckland, Sir George has been determined to be at the cutting edge of quality winegrowing.

Sir George Fistonich, Founder and Owner “Uppermost in my mind as we grow is that we should maintain the principles with which we started over 50 years ago: the pursuit of quality, innovation and passion for a particular style that is New Zealand. Above all, we want to make wines that everyone can enjoy, everywhere.”

Villa Maria Estate has gone from strength to strength over the last 50 years and is now distributed worldwide. Dedication to quality remains unwavering and as a result, Villa Maria Estate has claimed the title of New Zealand’s Most Awarded Winery for over forty consecutive years. In 2020 Villa Maria became part of Indevin an established wine business in New Zealand.

Senior Winemaker: Richard Painter
Winery Location: Hawkes Bay | New Zealand
Wine Region: Hawkes Bay
Annual Production (cases): 500,000