Score: 89/100
Needless to say that Tempranillo is a rather uncommon wine grape variety in New Zealand.
That said, the Spanish grape’s ability to ripen relatively early is quite well suited to NZ’s overall cool climate.
Few regions have ventured into planting Tempranillo in New Zealand though. But the Hawke’s Bay area, most famous for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot offers some good examples like our tasting of Church Road Mc Donald Series Tempranillo also demonstrates.
Trinity Hill winery has most of its vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels area of the Hawke’s Bay region and is one of the most reputable wine producers in New Zealand.
As the name suggests, the Gimblett Gravel part of the Hawke’s Bay region has free-draining and warm gravelly soils providing favorable growing conditions to grape varieties requiring heat to ripen which is why it is so successful with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Merlot. On paper at least then, the conditions are there to produce an interesting Tempranillo wine.
But how good is this Trinity Hill Tempranillo wine really?
The answer is in the tasting notes:
Overall: Very intense nose dominated by pronounced white pepper and peppermint character and sweet spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove).
There’s also dark fruits: cherry and plum, with oaky vanilla and caramel notes.
This wine is full, fragrant, and rich, with a dry and warm finish and granular tannins. Plenty of oak provide some velvety texture balancing the large tannins, and intense notes of coffee, vanilla and coconut.
When to Drink?
Give this wine a couple of years to mellow, integrate the oak, and develop further complexity.
Food Pairing:
Pair with rich tasty foods, cheeses or meats.
Find out more information about the producing winery at trinityhill.com
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