Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Brian Dow rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Excellent on the nose with fresh citrus and floral notes. Refreshing yet soft on the pallet. A very good vintage with picking up more.

Sylvain Segard rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Quintessential Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromas of ripe grapefruit pith, fragrant passion fruit, and some hints of string beans. Bright and crisp citrus acidity with a full, yet supple mouthfeel of ripe tropical fruit. Score 90. (Reviewed Nov. 2016)

Cora Beaulieu rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Pale yellow color. This wine has pronounced aromas of ripe apples and lemons, with nuances of fresh grass, straw, snow pea, lime and tropical fruits on the nose. Refined mid- weight with refreshing acidity. This wine has flavors of vibrant grapefruit, citrus and pineapple on the palate as well as subtle apple and passion fruit and hints of fleshy, peachy, melon notes. Finishes with good, long pineapple and mineral flavors. Serve with pan fried fish or sautéed scallops and grilled seasonal vegetables.

Lynn van der Linde rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

Crisp citrus transforms into soft velvet.
The Awatere Valley had a very strong 2016, imparting more of its distinctive grapefruit aromas and flavours in this classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The acidity is beautifully balanced as a result of extra time sitting on the grape lees, providing a long and luscious finish.
Tasted Nov 2016.

Monique Sosa rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

What an aroma bomb! Prominent notes include sweet basil, lemon grass, flinty minerality and citrus aromas. The palate shows mouthwatering citrus flavours with a buttery texture, yet clean crisp finish. Enjoy with creamy penne a la vodka. Tasted Nov 2016 - @sommsosa | bespoketastings.ca

David Skinner rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

Medium straw colour and clean. Tropical and floral aromas with a major focus on passion fruit, subtle grapefruit and some herbal influence. More tropical fruit on the palate with a luscious mouthfeel and refreshing acidity. Some extended skin contact during fermentation and some resting on lees produce a complex and well balanced wine with a long finish.

This wine can stand up to acidic foods but would be a great match for poultry or mildly spiced asian dishes.

Lori Kilmartin WSET3 rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

I consider myself lucky to be one of the first to taste this wine in Ontario. Clear pale straw yellow in colour with tropical aromas on the nose and typical Sauv. Blanc herbaceous notes. There was also something different about this particular wine as Villa Maria 's Cellar Selection saw more skin contact than the Private Bin line giving it more texture and a fuller mouthfeel. Viticulturist Ollie Powrie said his pairing would be some creamy goat cheese as there is still plenty of acidity to cut through the cheese. Tasted November 15, 2016

Jane Staples rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

The winemaker described this Sauv Blanc as capturing the essence of Marlborough. It is a blend made from grapes growing on select parcels of both the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Bright and fragrant with lime, grapefruit zest and fresh herbal aromatics, then the palate explodes with gooseberries, ripe tropical fruit, white grapefruit and herbs. It has more tropical flavours on the palate compared to the Private Bin SB. Mouth-watering acidity make this a very appealing choice with white fish, Chicken Alfredo or appetizers such as roasted nuts and marinated mushrooms or squid. At $19.95, this is a terrific value.
Tasted Nov. 2016

Pamela Chiles rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

A Sauvignon Blanc for Sauvignon Blanc lovers, this wine comes across as almost full-bodied. Plenty of melon, apple, lemon zest on the nose and palate, vibrant and balanced, weighty and lush, dare I say it - lip-smacking good?! This wine was fabulous with an Italian antipasto platter. How about that for a pairing?

Rachelle O'Connor rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

An absolutely lovely sauvignon blanc, with lots of lemon and grapefruit on the nose. There are big flavors on the palate with a wonderful mouth feel and a well balanced acidity. The abundant flavors were achieved by leaving the the grape skin in longer contact with the juice and extended time on the lees. This also gave the wine more "palate weight". Again selected parcels from the Wairau and Awatere Valleys - beautifully capturing the superb quality of many wines produced in the Marlborough region.

Terry Jeans rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

An expressive Sauvignon Blanc from select parcels of the Wairua and Awatere Valleys, in the Marlborough region. Again a crisp and aromatic SB from Villa Maria with notes of pink grapefruit, herbaceousness and crisp acidity. The surprising and enjoyable part of this wine is the fuller, rounder mouth feel that comes from the extended contact of the grape skins with the juice after the pressing and the extra time on lees. There is almost a creaminess to it with a bit more weight, which is a nice change for SB. Still a perfect seafood pairing.