40 years later, 39 vintages later, La Valette is still celebrated in style except this time round Marsovin have really gone out of their way to make La Valette’s 40th anniversary a year to be remembered!

The first La Valette Vin Rouge bottles were sold in October 1967. The original labels, showing the coat of arms of Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette, were designed by Emvin Cremona who was a renowned artist in Malta at the time, and today recognised as one Malta’s foremost artists.

Why name the wine La Valette? The managing director of Marsovin during the sixties was Joseph Cassar (also known as is-sur Guzi), who was responsible for the running of the winery and also the son of the founder of Marsovin, Chevalier Anthony Cassar. The concept at that period was to make good use of two Grand Masters of the Order of St. John; Jean Parisot de La Valette and Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle. In fact, the two wines created at that time were La Valette Vin Rouge and Verdala wines for the Rosé and white wines.

In 1974, Marsovin enhanced the image of La Valette by making it with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, all locally grown from the Wardija Estate. At that time Wardija Estate was used as an experimental vineyard, and Marsovin was the first winery to have plantings of the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Malta.

History seems to be repeating itself. La Valette Vin Rouge 40th anniversary, of vintage 2005 is vinified with 100 per cent, locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, predominantly grown in the Marnisi Estate in Marsaxlokk, and partly barrel matured in French oak casks.

The La Valette 40th Anniversary wine is a limited release from the 2005 vintage and is packaged in 75cl bottles (only 24,100 bottles were produced) and also in magnum bottles (capacity of 1.5 litres), with a fashionable metal design of La Valette’s coat of arms on the label, labeled with Cabernet Sauvignon, made with 100 per cent locally grown grapes (only 2,404 magnum bottles were produced).

This year La Valette is celebrating in style as a premium wine, authentically Maltese, packaged in style, reflecting the climate and soils of Maltese vineyards.

The La Valette 40th Anniversary 75cl bottle is available from all leading retail outlets. Anyone wishing to place an order for the La Valette 40th Anniversary Magnum bottle (1.5ltr) should phone on 2182-4918 or send an email to [email protected].