Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2020  £25.65

TRINITY HILL, GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH

Founded in 1993, by winemaker John Hancock together with Robert and Robyn Wilson, owners of The Bleeding Heart and The Don in London, Trinity Hill has become a byword for quality and consistency. In 2021, Trinity Hill was bought by a group of New Zealand private investors who are passionate about the wine industry, including Director, Mitch Plaw and his business partners, Craig Turner, Mark Sandelin and Michael Nock. Winemaker Warren Gibson has been with Trinity Hill since 1997. He is also in charge of the 80 hectares of vineyard owned by Trinity Hill and knows Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels exceptionally well. The wines reflect this. Warren and his team make wines that show the best of what Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels can produce. The wines have an elegance, balance, drinkability and precision of flavour that makes them a joy to drink.

Trinity Hill was one of the first to plant grapes on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay in 1993. The Gimblett Gravels, located on the former bed of the Ngaruroro River, is now a highly sought-after sub-region renowned for the quality of its wines, particularly those made from Syrah.

The Gimblett Gravels Syrah is made from fruit sourced from various vineyards in the sub-region, where the soils consist of deep greywacke gravels. A small percentage of Viognier skins was included to some batches during fermentation. The wine is elegant with cracked pepper and wild berry fruits balanced by good acidity. ‘The Gimblett’ is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a little Tempranillo from two low-yielding vineyards. The wine has serious structure, with richness, power and lovely blackberry aromatics. The Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo, made in very small quantities, displays attractive bramble fruit aromas and has soft, velvety tannins.

This wine is made from estate-grown grapes from the Tin Shed and Gimblett Stones vineyards. The Gimblett Gravels sub-region is known for its deep, free draining gravel soils in a unique microclimate. Soils were deposited by the Ngaruroro River as it changed course over many thousands of years. Their low fertility and excellent drainage give small crops of grapes with highly concentrated flavours and aromas.

2020 proved to be another exceptional vintage in Hawkes Bay, and had the perfect conditions to produce a beautifully aromatic and ripe Syrah. Extensive rains before Christmas were followed by consistently warm daytime temperatures and moderate to cool nights – conditions that were perfect for ripening while preserving fresh acidity.

The Syrah grapes for this wine were hand harvested from estate-owned vineyards of three individual sites and clones, and then fermented separately before blending post-fermentation. A range of maceration periods allowed for increased complexity. A small percentage of Viognier skins were included in some batches to further aid in providing complexity and texture. The wine was then matured for 12 to 16 months, entirely in 5,400 litre French oak ovals, before bottling.

This wine is a deep, vibrant crimson in colour. Wild raspberry, blackberry and black pepper aromas predominate, with hints of vanilla bean. Savoury, spicy notes follow with some meaty overtones. Powerful but balanced, ripe tannins give the wine great, silky structure. Oak ageing plays a supporting role, the wine leading with a pure fruit expression. Combined with good acidity, these characteristics ensure excellent potential for ageing.