Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels, `The Gimblett`
'Trinity Hill is run by the irrepressible John Hancock (whose son William is currently studying wine at Plumpton in Sussex) and was set up by Robert and Robyn Wilson, an Anglo-Kiwi couple who own Bleeding Heart and The Don restaurants in London and are in the process of transferring two-thirds of Trinity Hill to American wine entrepreneur Charles Banks. With the first vines planted in 1993, it was one of the pioneers of the so-called Gimblett Gravels subregion of Hawke's Bay, on the old river bed of the Ngaruroro. Today they grow a wide range of varieties, with Syrah one of their top performers, but from the exceptional 2013 vintage it is The Gimblett, their top Bordeaux blend, that has particularly impressed me' Jancis Robinson, 11th Dec 2015
Country: New Zealand Region: Hawkes Bay Vintage: 2013
Varietal: Bordeaux blends Category: Red Wine Color: Red
Producer: Trinity Hill
"Trinity Hill was one of the first to plant grapes on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay in 1993. The Gimblett Gravels, planted 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 Gimblett Gravels, where the soils consist of deep greywacke gravels. A small percentage of Viognier was included in the blend. The relatively delicate wine surprises with its multi layered Syrah intensity, with cracked pepper and wild berry fruits balanced by good acidity. The ‘The Gimblett’ is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot off low cropping vineyards from Gimblett Estate, Gimblett Stones and Tin Shed. The wine has serious structure with richness and power and lovely blackberry aromatics. The Marsanne-Viognier blend is a first from New Zealand. It has a lovely nuttiness and a silky texture that makes it a great drink.
Their most outstanding wine is Homage, which is produced only in the very best years and in very limited quantities. First produced in 2002, it pays tribute to the late Gérard Jaboulet (a long-time friend of Robert, Robyn and John, who worked alongside Gérard in Tain L’Hermitage for the 1996 vintage) and is inspired by the wines of Côte Rôtie. Flavours of blackberry, liquorice, black pepper and spice combine to give a wine that is elegant and powerful with great concentration."
Product Features:Sustainable
Winemaker: Warren Gibson
Vineyards:
Fruit is sourced from Trinity Hill's own sites in the Gimblett Gravels in the wider Hawkes Bay area: Gimblett Estate, Gimblett Stones and Tin Shed. Here, soils consist of river shingle deposited by the Ngaruroro River. These soils are extremely free draining and of low fertility. Each of the sites produce relatively small crops with intensely flavoured and coloured grapes.
Vinification:
Following handpicking, fruit was gently de-stemmed and transferred to closed-top tanks for fermentation. Each variety and vineyard was harvested and vinified separately. Pumping over with controlled aeration took place during the fermentation period to extract colour and tannin. A post-fermentation maceration of the wine in contact with the skins occurred for up to three weeks in some batches. This was aimed at softening the texture and structure of the tannins. After a brief period for clarification, the wine was transferred into small French oak barrels of which 30% were new. After 16 months in barrel, the individual components were assessed and blended. "The Gimblett" was bottled in October 2014.
Tasting Notes:
A wine with beautiful aromatics that include ripe blackberry, fresh blackcurrant and dried herbs. The Cabernet family gives structure and fresh aromatics. Merlot gives richness and mid-palate weight with Petit Verdot helping with complexity, density and colour. Structurally, the wine is complex, powerful and food-friendly.
Closure: Stelvin ABV:13.4% Acidity [g/l]: 5.9
