Marsovin’s Grand Maître 2018, Annata Fra Ramon Perellos y Roccaful has just been released. This is the 21st 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 of 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. 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 2018 vintage was characterised by a cold and windy winter, a warmer than usual spring and average summer temperature. The warmer spring temperature resulted in an early but smooth grape ripening and excellent concentration of colours and flavours.

The resultant wine produced portrays the typical characteristics of this vineyard together with a specific vintage style of its own, in that it is already an approachable wine, with smooth well balanced tannins and a distinctive complex bouquet of amarena cherries and new oak nuances complimented by some leathery, spicy notes and sweet tobacco undernotes.

For more information e-mail cellars@marsovinwinery.com.