Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2021

Description

• French oak
• White peach & grapefruit
• Sweet spice & toasted nut
• Crisp, natural acidity

"Rich, intense, creamy-textured wine with luscious peach, ripe nectarine, vanilla and spicy oak flavours. A real crowd-pleaser that is easy to appreciate. From a top vintage"Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Aug 2022

Aromas of white peaches, grapefruit and citrus blossom are complemented by hints of sweet spices, vanilla, and toasted nuts. The wine is concentrated in the mouth yet remains fresh and vibrant thanks to a fine thread of natural acidity. Spicy/toasty oak flavours and gently drying tannins impart savoury complexity and tension on the palate, which finishes crisp, tangy, and dry with lingering citrus and spice flavours. A superb wine of balance, concentration and finesse that are the hallmarks of Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay.

Weather conditions leading up to the 2021 harvest were typical of a Hawke’s Bay summer – warm sunny days with moderately cool nights. As autumn arrived the season became cooler yet remained dry, providing ideal ripening conditions, while preserving natural acidity. Hand-harvested fruit was gently pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in predominantly 500-litre French oak puncheons, and a small number of 228-litre French oak barriques.

Malolactic fermentation was encouraged to soften the acidity and impart further richness. The wine spent 11 months in barrel before being blended to tank for a further four months maturation on its yeast lees to build additional texture and complexity. The wine was bottled in July 2022 with no fining and minimal filtration.