Trinity Hill Wines
The philosophy behind Trinity Hill emphasizes quality rather than quantity—a philosophy that translates into exceptional wine. Taking advantage of the Hawkes Bay temperate, maritime climate, Trinity Hill employs a “winegrowing team” of expert winemakers and grape-growing staff to create superb vineyard sites and produce some of the world’s finest wines. It is said that great wine is made in the vineyard, and at Trinity Hill they produce distinctive wines of elegance that reflect the character of each vineyard site.
Winery Accolades
Tom Stevenson's award-winning wine guide, Wine Report 2008, touted as “the essential insider's guide to every major wine-growing region in the world,” features regional Top 10 lists. The New Zealand report by journalist and Master of Wine, Bob Campbell, showered Trinity Hill with recognition:
Greatest Quality Wines – Trinity Hill 2004 Homage Syrah (ranked first)
Greatest Wine Producers – Trinity Hill Wines (ranked seventh)
Most Exciting and Unusual – Trinity Hill 2005 Tempranillo (ranked eighth)
Read our news release.
Quick Facts
OWNER: John Hancock, Robert and Robyn Wilson, Trevor and Hanne Janes
WINEMAKER: John Hancock, Warren Gibson, Liam McElhinny, Michael Bell (Viticulturalist)
APPELLATION: Hawkes Bay
WEB SITE: http://www.trinityhill.com
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Featured Wines
2006 Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Homage Syrah
Blend: 96% Syrah, 4% Viognier
Overall Impression: Elegant and concentrated.
Bouquet: Ripe red berry fruit complexed with mocha and licorice notes. Fragrance and perfume is aided by the Viognier.
Palate: Plum, blackberry, cherry and cassis are the dominant flavors, with a structure that is tight and tense allowing the wine to age gracefully for many years.
Serving Suggestions: Richly flavoured red meat dishes.Reviews and Awards
95 points (Outstanding)
"The awesome 2006 Homage Syrah has a truly wonderful, exuberant nose with pure blackberry, white pepper, a touch of leather and briar. Superb definition. The palate is medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, feminine, touches of white pepper, hedgerow and briery. As much finesse as a Romanee-Saint-Vivant with its silky smooth finish. Brilliant.”
eRobertParker.com, May 2008
"The Big Kahuna, every way you look at it. John Hancock's superstar Syrah fills a large canvas with panache, power and varietal purity. One of the 'most lush, balanced and softest mouthfuls' in the line-up, said Ralph Kyte-Powell. A rich, silkily textured treat."
Cuisine, July 2008Champion Wine of the Show 2007
Organised by New Zealand Winegrowers, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards is the country's most prestigious wine competition. Air New Zealand Wine Awards chair of judges, Steve Smith, Master of Wine (MW), said, “The Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2006 can only be described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. It has extremely complex flavours which are simply fantastic, but it is not flamboyant or hard-hitting."
Fruitfed Supplies Champion Syrah Trophy - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 20072006 Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Syrah
Blend: 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier
Overall Impression: Ripe, concentrated, seductive.
Bouquet: Spicy black pepper, bright raspberry and blueberry.
Palate: Concentrated red fruit, pepper, spicy meat.
Serving Suggestions: Complements a wide range of cuisine, including aged, cured meats and savory winter meals.Reviews and Awards
93 points (Outstanding)
"The magnificent Gimblett Gravels Syrah shone out amongst its peers. It displays a more open-knit, well-defined, leathery nose with a vibrant white pepper component. The palate is medium-to-full-bodied with firm but fine tannins, very harmonious and focused with blackberry, white pepper, plum and leather. Very good persistency towards the finish with a beguiling sense of natural elegance.
Trinity Hill is one of Hawkes Bay's outstanding producers and one of the country's finest proponents of Syrah. With two 20-hectare holdings in the Gimblett Gravels, chief winemaker and "bluesman" John Hancock along with Warren Gibson and Michael Bell are fashioning dense, powerful yet supremely well-balanced wines that rank amongst the best wines New Zealand produces and come highly recommended."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, May 2008Named Champion Shiraz/Syrah and Champion Red Wine at the Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition 2007. The Syrah bested over 500 wines and is the first New Zealand wine to win the coveted Shiraz/Syrah award in the 14-year history of this international competition. Until this year the trophy had gone to Australia.
2004 Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels "The Gimblett" (Bordeaux-Blend)
Blend: 41% Cab. Sauv., 40% Merlot, 18% Cab. Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Overall Impression: Complex, dense, and brooding.
Bouquet: Cassis, mulberry, plum, red currant, and violets.
Palate: Mixed berries, licorice, and leather.
Serving Suggestions: After generous decanting, this wine should be enjoyed in large glasses alongside roasted meats, hearty stews and well aged cheeses.Reviews and Awards
90 Points
Wine Enthusiast 20082005 Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels "The Gimblett" (Bordeaux-Blend)
Blend: 60% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, 5% Cab. Franc, 2% Cab. Sauv
Overall Impression: Complex, dense, and brooding.
Bouquet: Cassis, mulberry, plum, red currant, and violets.
Palate: Mixed black fruits, chocolate, licorice, leather.
Serving Suggestions: After generous decanting, enjoy in large glasses with roasted meats, hearty stews, and well-aged cheeses.2004 Hawkes Bay Trinity (Red Blend)
Blend: 52% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah
Bouquet: From the Syrah: blackberry and black pepper nuances; from the Merlot: leather and plum aromas; from the Cabernet Franc: the aromatic spice and red currant character; and the cassis from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Palate: The blending of the fruit characters from the 4 varieties and the spine of the Cabernet Sauvignon has combined to produce a complex, fruit dominant wine. The sensitive oak aging has added a further dimension to the wine without being obvious. Richness and soft, ripe tannins make this wine a serious yet eminently drinkable wine.
Serving Suggestions: A wide variety of foods including meats, savory pasta dishes and cheese platters.2007 Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Bouquet: Gooseberries, citrus, passionfruit, nectarine
Palate: Fresh and zingy with a fresh fruitiness. A mineral character lends a distinctly Sancerre-like style to the wine. The fresh acid is balanced by a tiny amount of retained sweetness. A modest alcohol level is a big plus for this style of wine.
Serving Suggestions: Serve lightly chilled with shellfish and seafood, Asian foods, new season's asparagus and goat's cheese.2007 Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir
Bouquet: Rasberry, strawberry, plum and cherry.
Palate: The wine shows soft, velvety tannins, with the flavors of red fruits. Will develop lovely truffly, earthy characters with bottle age.
Serving Suggestions: Superb with salmon, poultry or game dishes.2007 Hawkes Bay Syrah
Blend: 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
Bouquet: Blackberries, spice, pepper
Palate: The blackberry, spice and peppery nuances of Syrah have combined to produce a complex, fruit dominant wine. The sensitive oak aging has added a further dimension to the wine without being obvious. Richness and soft, ripe tannins make this wine eminently drinkable.
Serving Suggestions: Wide range of dishes, especially Lamb.Reviews and Awards
Gold Medal
"Deep colour, with nice youthful edges. Lovely fruit and firmness of texture. Wonderful, clean and complete ripe wine."
Internation Wine Challenge (UK) 2008
Exceptional
"Subtle notes of black pepper and violet with pomegranate and a richer fruit ..."
Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences October 2008
89 Points
"Blended with 5% Viognier, the 2007 Syrah lacks a little fruit concentration on the nose with faint scents of dried herbs. The palate has a fine chewy structure with blueberry, cassis and plum with svelte tannins and great harmony towards the finish. Good weight but very backward and deserving at least a couple of years in bottle."
Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, August 2009
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