Country: New Zealand  Region: Hawkes Bay  Varietal: Syrah/Shiraz Vintage: 2018  Category: Red Wine Colour: 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;Vegan;Vegetarian Winemaker: Warren Gibson Vineyards The Gimblett Gravels winegrowing area is a small sub-region in the Hawkes Bay of New Zealand defined by a very unique stony soil type. This wine is made from estate grown grapes from the Tin Shed and Gimblett Stones vineyards. Vintage Information 2018 was a very warm season in Hawkes Bay with a typically dry late summer. Vinification Grapes were hand harvested from a range of individual sites and clones and then fermented separately before blending. A range of maceration periods allowed for increased complexity. 20% whole bunches were included in the fermentations which contribute to freshness, aromatics and structure. The wine was aged for 14 months in a mixture of new and old 228 litre French oak barriques and larger 5,000 litre oak casks. This barrel ageing regime includes stirring of the lees and very minimal racking. Tasting Notes Deep and vibrant crimson in colour, with wild raspberry, blueberry, cracked pepper and hints of vanilla bean on the nose. Powerful, ripe tannins give the wine great structure. Oak plays a supporting role to the wine's pure fruit expression. This purity combined with refreshing natural acidity mean there is excellent potential for ageing. Development of mineral, gamey characters will result from bottle-age.