Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawkes Bay 2020
Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawkes Bay
Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Vintage: 2020
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
ABV: 14%
This wine has perfumed aromas of leather and plums derived from the Merlot, with hints of spice and red fruit characters from the Cabernets. The palate is rich and supple, with ripe tannins and an elegant finish.
The grapes are sourced from vineyards predominantly in the Gimblett Gravels region of Hawkes Bay. The soils are deep river gravels, left by the Ngaruroro River as it changed course over many thousands of years. These free-draining gravels can be more than 100 metres deep. Their low fertility, along with the ability to control vine vigour by controlling soil moisture, give small crops with highly concentrated flavours and aromas.
Individual vineyard blocks were harvested separately and then gently destemmed prior to fermentation. Subsequently, gentle daily pumping over of the skins during fermentation helped extract a soft yet complex tannin structure. Following fermentation, the skin maceration was extended for up to four weeks to further integrate and soften the tannins. The parcels spent 15 months ageing in a combination of small French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks, before blending and bottling.
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.