Charles Polidano's Montekristo vineyards have launched their flagship wine, called Magnus 2004.
The limited edition 2004 vintage yielded just under 7,000 bottles. The wine is made from indigenous grapes to which was added 10 per cent of Shiraz and 5 per cent of Cabernet grapes. Magnus was aged for nine months in new Seguin Moreau barriques and then in stainless steel vats for another 12 months before bottling.
Perhaps even more significant than the wine was the venue of the launch, a vast underground cellar that will form the heart of a Lm8 million project that will include an arena larger than the Knights' Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
The atmospheric cellar will be used for various purposes including wine tasting, while the arena will host a live spectacle for tourists. Companies involved with conference and incentive travel have already commented positively on the venue, saying it will create a new attraction as well as a venue able to cope with the large groups targeted by the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre.
At ground level, the project includes a building described by Victor Bonello, the driving force behind Montekristo, as a "chateau" offering "real luxury".
MonteKristo's vineyards, located in the south-west of Malta and on Gozo, cover some 200,000m.
The limited edition 2004 vintage yielded just under 7,000 bottles. The wine is made from indigenous grapes to which was added 10 per cent of Shiraz and 5 per cent of Cabernet grapes. Magnus was aged for nine months in new Seguin Moreau barriques and then in stainless steel vats for another 12 months before bottling.
Perhaps even more significant than the wine was the venue of the launch, a vast underground cellar that will form the heart of a Lm8 million project that will include an arena larger than the Knights' Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
The atmospheric cellar will be used for various purposes including wine tasting, while the arena will host a live spectacle for tourists. Companies involved with conference and incentive travel have already commented positively on the venue, saying it will create a new attraction as well as a venue able to cope with the large groups targeted by the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre.
At ground level, the project includes a building described by Victor Bonello, the driving force behind Montekristo, as a "chateau" offering "real luxury".
MonteKristo's vineyards, located in the south-west of Malta and on Gozo, cover some 200,000m.