Wine with a strong identity

If you are keen on discovering unique ‘island wines’, Victoria Heights by Delicata is definitely a name to look out for and, as it happens, it sits embossed on a brand new label.

I’ve always thought of the range as an expression of Delicata’s quest for genuine wine and the new livery surely fully reflects the contents. Say goodbye to the  dark-coloured label and hello to a complete redesign that does justice to the brand’s strong identity.

I got the chance to taste the fresh 2019 vintage of the Shiraz Rosé DOK Gozo from tank prior to its imminent release from the winery and was impressed by its flavoursome palate.

This is a delightful, scented dry rosé made from Shiraz (or Syrah) bunches ripened and picked  by caring hands in Gozo’s best  family-tended valley vineyards enclosed by typical rubble walls (ħitan tas-sejjieħ).

This seriously scrumptious pink offers bright floral aromas with flavours of red summer fruits and spice. Ever so well crafted, this Gozitan rosé gives and gives generously, I must say.

Named after the fertile hills around the town which has been settled since Neolithic times and named Victoria on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, Victoria Heights is actually a range of four mono-varietal wines.

I also tasted the slightly  honeyed Chardonnay with a nose and palate suggestive of peaches, ripe citrus fruit and the island’s netted melon.

2019 was a small vintage but judging by the width and length of this particular Chardonnay, it seems to be an excellent year for white wine. I don’t have a crystal ball but I would not at all be  surprised if the 2019 Victoria Heights Chardonnay goes on to win big on the international stage.

Remember that the 2017 vintage won a silver medal at the 25th edition of the Chardonnay du Monde competition in Burgundy, which is the heartland of the Chardonnay grape variety. I suspect that, if the 2019  vintage were entered, it once again will hold its own against France’s top appellations such as Rully, Chablis, Meursault and Pouilly-Fuissé.

The Victoria Heights range by Delicata, first released in 2002, has won 10 international awards over the years. The range has been recognised by experts as well made, fruit-driven wines  of astoundingly good quality and consistency with all their  authentic charm intact.

The two red wines in the Victoria Heights collection are also single varietal wines, one made from Merlot and another from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Both reds will be released for sale in March.

All the wines in the Victoria Heights range are vegan-friendly and sold in a returnable eco-friendly glass bottle which now sports a new look.

The wines are a marvellous result of the winemaker’s skills and Delicata’s ethos of ‘reasonable harmony’ that evolves around growing quality grapes by working hand in glove with – not against – the Maltese land, the generous people and sunny climate.

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This article by Georges Meekers was first published in the Times of Malta on 14/02/20.