Marsovin’s Grand Maître 2014, Annata Fra Raphael de Cotoner, is the 17th vintage of the prized Grand Maître, produced from grapes grown in Marsovin’s Private Estate – Għajn Riħana.
The Għajn Riħana estate spans over an area of 1.6 hectares, 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 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.
This 2014 vintage, marks the 17th year since Marsovin started producing this estate wine. This year's vintage is dedicated to Grand Master Annata Fra Raphael Cotoner. He was the 60th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The first of two Spanish brothers who between them were to reign for two decades, a period in time which brought grandeur to the Order in Malta.
Marsovin’s Grand Maître is a wine dedicated to the Grand Masters of Malta 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.
A premium blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is what makes Grand Maître. The wine is produced from hand-picked grapes harvested from a privately owned estate Għajn Riħana situated at the foothills between Bidnija and Wardija. 2014 was the third warmest year on record and the vintage climatic conditions were characterised by the generally brighter, drier and less windy conditions than average throughout the year with a relatively cooler, windier July and the hottest September on record. Overall these conditions resulted in an excellent and very healthy grape maturity with a substantial but lower harvest yield in comparison to that of the previous year, producing a very approachable and elegant wine characterised by its typical fruity bouquet, velvety smooth tannins, brought about by over 12 months ageing in new French Barriques. This outstanding wine has a very pleasant, long, lingering finish and will mature well for at least 8 to 10 years in the right storage conditions.
Grand Maître is available in wooden boxes of 6 and 3 bottles, as well as single bottles being offered in an exclusively-designed, complimentary presentation box.
For information and orders of Grand Maître, call on 23662445 or send an e-mail to cellars@marsovinwinery.com