Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2020

This wine is a deep, vibrant crimson in colour. Wild raspberry, blackberry and black pepper aromas predominate, with hints of vanilla bean. Savoury, spicy notes follow with some meaty overtones. Powerful but balanced, ripe tannins give the wine great structure. Oak ageing plays a supporting role, the wine leading with a pure fruit expression. Combined with good acidity, these characteristics ensure excellent potential for ageing.

This wine is made from estate-grown grapes from the Tin Shed and Gimblett Stones vineyards. The Gimblett Gravels sub-region is known for its deep, free draining gravel soils in a unique microclimate. Soils were deposited by the Ngaruroro River as it changed course over many thousands of years. Their low fertility and excellent drainage give small crops of grapes with highly concentrated flavours and aromas.

The Syrah grapes for this wine were hand harvested from estate-owned vineyards of individual sites and clones, and then fermented separately before blending post-fermentation. A range of maceration periods allowed for increased complexity. 30% of whole bunches were included in the fermentations to contribute freshness, aromatics and structure to the wine. A small percentage of Viognier skins were included in some batches to further aid in providing complexity and texture. The wine was then matured for eight months, entirely in 5,000 litre oak ovals, before bottling in February 2021.