Marsovin’s Grand Maître 2020, ‘Annata Fra Antonio Manoel de Vilhena’, was released last Wednesday. This is the 23rd vintage of the prized and highly sought-after flagship wine produced by the Maltese premium winery.

The wine is produced by special appointment to the Maltese Association Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Each vintage is dedicated to a different grand master in chronological order, the first one being Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam for the 1998 vintage.

Grand Maître is produced from grapes grown on Marsovin’s private estate, Għajn Riħana, situated between the Bidnija hills and Wardija in the north of Malta. The vineyard is densely planted with 14,000 vines of two noble French grape varieties, made up of equal quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

An elegant, sweet spice and well-integrated new French oak aromas give this wine a long, lingering finish

The arid land and clay-rich, calcareous soil provide a tough growing environment for these vines. The low yields from this estate generally produce very concentrated full-bodied wines of intense fruit and aromatic character. Following vinification, the unfiltered wine is aged in new oak barriques for over 12 months in the Marsovin Cellars prior to bottling.

The 2020 vintage was characterised by dry warm conditions, with January and February among the driest months on record. However, spring offered some reprieve with abnormally wetter conditions. Winter months were only mildly cold and warm summer temperature kicked in rather early. The extreme conditions resulted in lower-than-average yields and concentrated fruit, harvested later than usual.

The resultant wine displays a concentration of red fruit both on the nose and the palate with a slight herbal touch of eucalyptus, adding a refreshing nuance to complement its full-bodied structure. An elegant, sweet spice and well-integrated new French oak aromas give this wine a long, lingering finish. 

For information and orders of Grand Maître, call the Marsovin Cellars on 7923 1919 or e-mail cellars@marsovinwinery.com.

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