Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels, `The Gimblett` Gimblett Gravels
Vintage: 2019
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | TR111B19 | 6 x 75 | Stelvin Lux | Available |
Producer
Founded in 1993, by winemaker John Hancock together with Robert and Robyn Wilson, owners of The Bleeding Heart Group and The Don in London, Trinity Hill is synonymous with quality and consistency. In 2021, Trinity Hill was bought by a group of New Zealand private investors passionate about the wine industry, including Director, Mitch Plaw and his business partners, Craig Turner, Mark Sandelin and Michael Nock.
Winemaker Warren Gibson has worked at Trinity Hill since 1997. Alongside his winemaking expertise, Warren also manages Trinity Hill’s 80 hectares of vineyards across Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels. He is well versed in these areas and this knowledge is reflected in his wines. Warren and his team show the best of what Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels can produce. These are wines defined by elegance, balance, drinkability and flavour precision, making them a joy to drink.
Hawkes Bay
Trinity Hill’s Hawkes Bay Chardonnay is beautifully balanced. The fruit is gently pressed, without crushing or de-stemming, before fermenting with indigenous yeasts. The resulting wine also undergoes full malolactic fermentation, followed by ageing in French oak barrels and is defined by aromas of citrus and white flowers combined with a rich, creamy texture. The Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of fruit from four subregions. It differs significantly from the ‘classic’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc expression, with gentle aromas and flavours of stone fruit and lime.
Trinity Hill’s red wines are, if anything, even more impressive. The Hawkes Bay Syrah is sourced from across Hawkes Bay, including Gimblett Gravels and the Red Metal Triangle. A short period ageing in oak helps retain its vibrant fruit profile, defined by wild blackberry, spice and delicious peppery notes. The Hawkes Bay ‘The Trinity’ is a Merlot-dominant blend supplemented by Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec from various vineyards in Gimblett Gravels. This is an impressive wine with soft, ripe tannins and notes of plum, cassis, and spice. For the Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir, a small portion of the fruit undergoes whole-bunch fermentation, adding to the wine’s character and enhancing notes of fresh raspberry, plum and brambly spice with soft, velvety tannins.
Vineyards
Fruit is sourced from Trinity Hill's own sites in the Gimblett Gravels in the wider Hawkes Bay area. For the 2019 vintage, 94% came from Gimblett Stones and the remaining 6% from Gimblett Estate. Soils consist of river shingle deposited by the Ngaruroro River, and are extremely free draining and of low fertility. Each of the sites produce relatively small crops with intensely-flavoured, deep-coloured grapes.
Vintage
2019 proved to be another exceptional vintage in Hawkes Bay. After the extensive rains before Christmas, the region encountered consistently warm daytime temperatures and moderate-cool nights – conditions that were perfect for ripening while preserving fresh acidity. The steady conditions enabled the team at Trinity Hill to pick the perfect harvest time. Winemaker Warren Gibson says, "You could easily say there were seasons that were at least as good, but [2019] would be in the top 20%. In terms of the wine we have, I think it's certainly one of the best seasons we've ever had."
Vinification
Both varieties for were hand-harvested from individual blocks, then de-stemmed and fermented separately. The parcels were either hand plunged twice or pumped over once daily to aid optimum colour and tannin extraction. The total time on skins (including post-fermentation maceration) ranged from 13 to 46 days, which helped to improve the texture of the tannins while softening and stabilising the individual wines. Each parcel was matured in 100% new 225-litre French oak barriques for 15 months before being blended together in July 2020, and then returned to the same barrels for a further six months' maturation.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
Deep purple in colour, this wine boasts aromas of blackberries along with savoury hints of bramble, fresh cedar, liquorice, vanilla and toast. The Cabernet Franc lends beauty and fragrance to the elegance and restrained power of the Cabernet Sauvignon. On the palate, pure blackcurrant flavours, savoury oak, fine-grained tannins and juicy acidity combine effortlessly to produce a concentrated, textural palate that powers to a long and satisfying finish.
Alcohol (ABV)
13.5%
Acidity
6.3 g/l
Residual Sugar
0.44 g/l
pH
3.89
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gimblett Gravels | Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc | TR101 | W | ||
| Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay | TR107 | W | Factsheet | ||
| Gimblett Gravels Marsanne/Viognier | TR108 | W | Factsheet | ||
| Gimblett Gravels Syrah | TR110 | R | Factsheet | ||
| `Homage` Gimblett Gravels Syrah | TR112 | R | Factsheet | ||
| `125 Gimblett` Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay | TR151 | W | Factsheet | ||
| Hawkes Bay | Hawkes Bay Chardonnay | TR103 | W | Factsheet | |
| Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir | TR104 | R | |||
| Hawkes Bay Syrah | TR105 | R | Factsheet | ||
| `The Trinity` Hawkes Bay | TR106 | R |