Trinity Hill Tempranillo - a retrospective

 

It takes quite a lot to persuade me to get on a plane at the best of times, so an invitation to fly to Napier and back, in one day, had to be pretty special.  But I felt I had to go as the chance to taste a flight of Trinity Hill Tempranillo coupled with a special performance from Tierra Flamenca was one not to be sniffed at. 
  

So early last Thursday morning (and fortified by a glass of Coopers Creek Gewurztraminer chez Koru), I made the 50 minute flight to an overcast, cool Hawke's Bay and onwards to the Trinity Hill winery.

Trinity Hill has made a name for itself producing the usual Gimblett Gravels varieties such as chardonnay, merlot, syrah and cabernet.  But under the banner, 'a tradition of innovation', it has been beavering away, planting a host of new varieties too; arneis, montepulciano, touriga nacional, touriga francesca, tannat, marsanne and muscat a petit grains.  If this smorgasbord of varieties wasn't enough to keep John Hancock and Warren Gibson busy, they have launched a new joint venture with Loire producer Pascal Jolivet to make Sauvignon Blanc from a new sub region between Hastings and Waipawa.
 

We tasted new releases of Arneis and Montepulciano and then seven vintages of Tempranillo, with the two hosts chipping in with winemaking and harvest details.  

 

Arneis is not a particularly aromatic variety but there is a ripe stonefruit, slightly scented/musky note on the nose. Very rich flavours, quite broad and textural with the palate lifted by a thread of minerality running through.  The finish has an attractive, almost slightly bitter finish.

 

Very vivid purple ruby.  The nose is fresh and vibrant with a raspberry bubblegum edge. Light - medium bodied with softish tannins, faintly peppery with good grip and persistance.

 

(barrel sample)  Very deep youthful ruby. A baked, densely fruited nose with dark plum and berry. Sweet fruit initially, almost exotic, but then dusty ripe tannins kick in.  The best Tempranillo in the flight, concentration hasn't been compromised by extra oak.

 

Deep purple. Earthy, almost bran biscuit notes. Palate is dense and dusty, tannins are quite marked. Oak is apparent at this stage.  A big, bold wine.

 

Very exotic with touches of asian spices, liquorice and wild berry. Creamy nutmeg and bran biscuit oak, chewy dusty tannins but good persistence and concentration.

 

In the 17 months since I last tasted this wine it has taken on flesh and weight, the fruit developing a leather, spice and dark berry character.  Dusty earthy with dry, firm tannins.  Seems riper and richer than the 2006 ?

 

Showing quite a bit of development.  Open, dusty aromas of sweet spice, berry, the palate is open and forward.  Attractive drinking now - the only sign that this is a lighter vintage is the finish which just pulls up a little short.  Charming.

 

Lots of bottle developed characters on the nose; baked plum, rhubarb crumble. Still fresh on the palate but doesn't have a lot of life ahead of it.

 

Big, bold aromas of leather, blood, spice. Some brett. Fully developed, possibly almost a touch too old ?  But a fascinating wine.

 

After the tasting we were treated to a special performance from Tierra Flamenca whose dancing was passionate, vibrant and (even better) accompanied by a chilled glass of Tio Pepe.  

As lunch was served, I looked down at the tasting notes I had made, and noticed I had used the words 'earthy', 'dusty' and 'firm' often. Whilst these characters wouldn't be attractive in most NZ wines, in these Hawke's Bay Tempranillos they were perfectly acceptable and even desirable. And indeed once lunch was served, the wines blossomed, the dusty, drying tannins enhancing the food and cutting through the richness of the beef and pork. On reflection, I found them to be structured, savoury wines, intended for the table.
 

 

All too soon it was time to head back to the airport and home.  Somehow the return flight seemed a lot more enjoyable.  The weather may not have been typically Sevillean but the marriage of flamenco, great food and tempranillo was sublime.  

 

JS 27th October 2008