2020 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Hawkes Bay

Opaque appearance with a core of dark purple and ruby. Very youthful bouquet with scents of ripe black currant berries and dark plums, barrel spices and a light black pepper quality layer in complexity and breadth. Some lifted toasty barrel qualities and scents of clove, spice and vanilla. Delicious on the palate - full and rich in flavour and texture. Plum and black currant, clove and toasty barrel, lees, a gun-flint and roasted nut quality. Firm tannins and a back bone of acidity ensure this wine has an excellent foundation and will age well. The core fruits are powerful and lasting. A delicious though youthful example with a long finish. Best drinking from late 2023 through 2030.

95 points camdouglasms.com

Captivating florals, perfumed aromas of ripe blackberries and raspberries, savoury spice, liquorice, and Provençal herbs come together on a concentrated, silky, and succulent palate with a lingering, spicy finish.

An outstanding Gimblett Gravels Syrah that will develop complex mineral, gamey characters with age.

A superb match with full flavoured red meat dishes and game.

Syrah grapes were hand-harvested from Estate-owned vineyards of individual sites and clones and then fermented separately before blending postfermentation. A range of maceration periods allowed for increase complexity. 30 % of whole bunches were included in the fermentations which contribute to freshness, aromatics and structure. A small percentage of Viognier skins were included in some batches to further aid in providing complexity and texture.

The wine was aged for eight months entirely in 5,000 litre oak ovals. This barrel aging regime allows the individual characteristics of the Syrah vineyards to shine through, while at the same time allowing the wine to mature slowly and preserve the wine’s inherent beauty, purity and freshness.