TRINITY HILL GIMBLETT GRAVELS TEMPRANILLO 2025

Gold Medal – The National Wine Awards Aotearoa New Zealand 2026

Trinity Hill have been producing the Spanish variety Tempranillo for a number of years with such success that we wonder why there aren't more giving the variety a go. Sitting nicely between Syrah and Pinot Noir as a style, this has a lot going for it.

Winery notes (2025 Vintage)
"The 2025 Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo delivers the richness, generosity, and structure one expects from the variety. Attractive raspberry/blackberry aromas, along with liquorice, sweet spices, and dark chocolate, lead to a palate crammed with red/black fruit flavours. Chalky tannins with the consistency of cocoa powder, and vibrant acidity, contribute a mouth-coating texture and juiciness to the palate, which finishes long, succulent, and refreshing. This wine can be enjoyed now, but it will age well over the next 2 to 3 years. Red meat would be an ideal match as well as traditional Tapas-style dishes. Drink now to 2030.

Weather conditions leading up to the 2025 harvest were typical of a classic Hawke’s Bay summer – long, hot, sunny days with moderatecool nights. As autumn arrived, the season remained dry, providing ideal ripening conditions while preserving natural freshness.

Grapes were de-stemmed to opentop fermenters. The must was gently plunged during fermentation to aid optimum colour and tannin extraction. This was followed by an extended period on skins postfermentation to soften the tannins and enhance texture and complexity. Once drained off skins, the wine was allowed to settle before being transferred to seasoned 225-litre French oak for maturation. In addition, a parcel was aged in tank to provide aromatic freshness. After 14 months’ maturation, the wine was blended, followed by a light filtration, and bottled in June 2026."

Reviews for the 2024 vintage below…

Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, April 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"Dark red and ruby hues with a magenta and pink rim lead to a bouquet of blue and red fruits with plum and licorice, raspberry and black currant, toasty barrel spices of clove and vanilla with a wood smoke and wood-smoke. A dry wine touches the palate with a core of fruit and flavours that reflect the bouquet. A satin touch then contrasting fine tannins and acidity fold into the core palate detail and mouthfeel. An excellent example with best drinking from day of purchase through 2032+."

92/100 Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review, July 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"From Trinity Hill’s well-priced Gimblett Gravels mid-tier range, this is a seriously structured and oaky dry red. In some vintages, it can contain a touch of other varieties but in 2024, it appears to be 100% tempranillo. The destemmed fruit was plunged twice a day and underwent extended maceration before ageing in oak barrels for 18 months. It ‘could’ be approached now with food, if needs must, but will be much better with a bit of complexity from age.

Dark crimson with a purple hue, this opens with luxurious vanilla oak followed by layers of milk chocolate, mocha, dried tobacco and blackberry bush. Showing heft on the palate, the anise-spiced coulis of flavours is supported by notable, firm and grippy tannins which clench across the palate with an earthy austerity, giving way to warming alcohol on the finish. Young and structured at present, it needs a year or two to meld and reveal some complexity before being enjoyable but it has enough concentration to get there and continue ageing for several years after that."

92/100 David Walker Bell, WineFolio.co.nz, April 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"A new release of what is a fairly rare varietal to find in New Zealand. This one grown in the Gimblett Gravels region of Hawke’s Bay. An opaque, inky, deep carmine red colour in the glass. The perfume reveals beautifully ripe fruit aromas of blackberry, cherry and raspberry, with deeper notes of liquorice, clove, salami and root beer. The ripe fruit follows through in the palate. There is crisp acidity and a general brightness and, indeed, lightness to the body that is not what I’d be expecting from this varietal. Savoury, dusty tannins are well handled and don’t distract, rather adding some structure to this juicy offering. Another layer of savoury comes from flavours of nori, tapenade, juniper and a tarry balsam note. The finish sneaks in a little grainy texture, but is still pure and persistent."