Marsovin’s Grand Maître 2011, Annata Fra Jean de Lacaris-Castellar, is to be released on Tuesday. This is the 14th vintage of the prized Grand Maître, produced from grapes grown in Marsovin’s private estate at Għajn Riħana.

The superior quality of this wine has even been recognised overseas, as Grand Maître is nowadays exported to Japan, Hong Kong and China, among other countries.

The Għajn Riħana estate spans an area of 1.6 hectares between Bidnija hills and Wardija. 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 yields from this estate are therefore low and 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 Marsovin cellars prior to bottling.

The Grand Maître range is dedicated to the Grand Masters of Malta by special appointment to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Each vintage is dedicated to a different Grand Master in chronological order; the first one was Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam for the 1998 vintage.

This year’s vintage is dedicated to Grand Master Fra Jean de Lacaris-Castellar. During his period, Spain and France were at war, leading to intense hatred between the Knights of the warring nations. The Grand Master was known as a man of firm and strong character, whose resourcefulness and diplomacy helped to solve the Order’s interminable difficulties.

Only 2,800 individually numbered bottles were produced this year, making the sale of this wine strictly limited. Grand Maître is available in wooden boxes of six and three bottles, as well as single bottles, offered in an exclusively designed, complimentary presentation box.

To book your Grand Maître 2011 before stocks run out, send an e-mail to cellars@marsovin.com.mt or call 2366 2445 or 2366 2401 from Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm.

www.marsovin.com

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