News Archive - Gimblett Gravels

Gimblett Gravels is a brand owned by an association of New Zealand wineries and winegrowers in the Hawkes Bay region of the eastern North Island.

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23 November 2009

3 more trophies at Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Gimblett Gravels wines collected 3 more trophies at the weekend, reaffirming their status as New Zealand's leading region for fuller bodied reds. Click here for more detail.

11 November 2009

Golds galore at Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Gimblett Gravels wines added 12 more Gold Medals to the trophy cabinet at the 2009 Air NZ Wine Awards.
Click here to read more.

16 October 2009

Gimblett Gravels Trophy Bonanza at Hawke's Bay A&P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards
Champion Wine of Show, Best Sustainable Wine of Show, 6 category trophies and 12 gold medals – this was the haul for Gimblett Gravels wines at the recent Hawke’s Bay A&P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards, judged by a panel of leading international and local palates. Click here to read more.

16 October 2009

Mills Reef Double Gold at MUNDUS Vini
The MUNDUSvini International Wine Award is a competition held in Germany for wines from all the wine-growing regions in the world. Click here for more detail.

9 October 2009 - Media Release

Gimblett Gravels: ‘Serious Contenders’.
Red wines produced from a tiny 800 hectare appellation, the ‘Gimblett Gravels’, continue to gather international attention and recognition. Click here to read more.

5 October 2009

Liquorland Top100 results
Gimblett Gravels 2007 vintage wines dominated the fuller bodied reds categories, securing 2 trophies and 6 gold medals at the Liquorland Top 100 awards, announced today. Click here to read more.

1 October 2009
Harvey Steiman - Wine Spectator review
"Any way you look at it, the folks who make make wines from Merlot and Cabernet in New Zealand’s Gimblett Gravels district proved that they belong on the same table as those from big-name Bordeaux châteaus. The Kiwis did it the only legitimate way, in a blind tasting against the best"

So says Harvey Steiman following a tasting organised by Gimblett Gravels member, Craggy Range, in San Francisco recently. 6 wines, 2 from Craggy Range and 4 from other Gimblett Gravels members were tasted blind along with leading wines frm Bordeaux.

Harvey, along with other leading wine critics, ranked their wines with the overall group scores emerging, as follows:

Craggy Range Sophia 2007 ($50): group rank: 1

Church Road Tom 2005 ($85): group rank: 2

Sacred Hill Helmsman 2007 ($50) group rank: 3 (tie)

Château L’Evangile Pomerol 2005 ($250):  group rank: 3 (tie)

Blake Family Vineyard Redd Gravels 2006 ($54): group rank: 5

Craggy Range Sophia 2005 ($50): group rank: 6

Château Pavie St-Emilion 2006 ($200): group rank: 7

Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2005 ($190):   group rank: 8

Vieux-Château-Certan Pomerol 2006 ($175): group rank: 9

Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2005 ($140): group rank: 10

Château Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac 2006 ($695): group rank: 11

Trinity Hill The Gimblett 2006 ($30):  group rank: 12(prices in US$)

Harvey added, "One element working in New Zealand’s favor is price. The Bordeaux in this tasting ranged from $140 to $695 per bottle. The Kiwi reds sell for $45 to $85, but they are made in very small quantities, on the scale of hundreds of cases vs. thousands for the Bordeaux.

23 September 2009

September Show Success - New World Wine Awards, NZ International Wine Show, Tri-Nations Wine Challenge.
Click here for further details.

Romeo Bragato Success
It has been another successful weekend for Gimblett Gravels at the 2009 Romeo Bragato conference in Napier.
Click here to read more.

25 May 2009

Unique Syrah Offering
Gimblett Gravels wine fans have the chance to secure a unique 2008 Assemblage Syrah, especially created and donated as an auction lot at the Midlands Hawke’s Bay Charity Wine Auction on 30 May 2009.

Proceeds go to a very worthy cause, the Cranford Hospice, Hawke’s Bay’s specialist palliative care service. The Gimblett Gravels lot is number 17; bids for this, and other unique lots, can be made online via www.charitywineauction.co.nz.

Bottled into 12 x 750ml & 12 x 1500ml (Magnum) formats, this wine is an assemblage of Syrah donated by members of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association.

From the excellent 2008 vintage, each member’s Syrah component has been carefully blended by winemaker Gordon Russell. The bottles have been hand filled and sealed with high quality cork covered by a traditional wax finish.

Gimblett Gravels members contributing to the wine comprise: Beach House Wines, Craggy Range Winery, Matariki Wines, Mission Estate, Newton Forrest Estate, Sacred Hill Wines, Squawking Magpie Wines, Trinity Hill Wines, Unison Vineyard, Villa Maria Group.

Critics Comments
In the wake of the Gimblett Gravels London masterclass tasting in February, there have been other international tastings involving wines from Chile and California compared against leading Bordeaux.

It has prompted Jancis Robinson MW to recently summarise on her website www.jancisrobinson.com that …” the Gimblett Gravels producers certainly proved that they make wines very similar to top Bordeaux – at a fraction of the price..”

Jancis Robinson MW at the London tasting

Not to be outdone, the other ‘star red variety’, Syrah, has been the focus of recent attention by Winewise Magazine, one of Australia’s revered publications that has just celebrated 25 years of publication.

On the front cover of its April 2009 edition - featuring a tribute to Australian Shiraz - it shows a photograph of the Gimblett Gravels wine growing district and poses the question: “Is this the best Shiraz region in the world?”

Need we say more?!!

International Success
Gimblett Gravels red wines have excelled at two of the world’s largest wine competitions, the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge. Click here to read more

With judging standards incredibly high and in context with global wine styles, achieving trophy or gold medal success is an incredible achievement.

In the Decanter World Wine Awards, Villa Maria secured the NZ Bordeaux Varietal Trophy (over £10) with their Reserve Merlot 2006, with Craggy Range scoring a Gold Medal for their Merlot blend, Sophia 2005.

Syrah shone in the International Wine Challenge, with Mission Estate securing rare gold medals for both their Reserve and Jewelstone Syrahs, both from the 2007 vintage.

Vintage 2009 report
Vintage 2009 on the Gimblett Gravels will be one to remember for red grape varieties and is expected to create some of the best ever wines to date. Click here to read more.

24 March 2009

More ‘Golden Eggs’ at Royal Easter Show
Gimblett Gravels red wines added 2 more trophies and 8 Gold Medals to its burgeoning tally at the 2009 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. Click here to read more

20 February 2009

Media Information: London Bordeaux & Gimblett Gravels Masterclass Tasting

Gimblett Gravels wines repeat strong showing against top Bordeaux

A gathering of some of the UK's leading palates struggled to separate Gimblett Gravels wines from First Growth Bordeaux 2005. Click here to read more

23 October 2008

Media Information: MasterClass tasting Bordeaux & Gimblett Gravels

Taupo Surprise!
Fledgling New Zealand winegrowing district Gimblett Gravels is recognised as a serious challenge to some of the world’s finest wines.

A very exclusive event took place in Taupo this past Saturday. A selection of six New Zealand produced ‘off the shelf’ wines from the tiny 800ha Gimblett Gravels wine-growing district in the Hawke’s Bay were tested against six very highly-rated wines from the celebrated Bordeaux region in France.

Click here to read more>>

The Top 6 - The top ranked wines - 1-6 (left to right)
International wine judge, James
Halliday, announces the results.

Further International Recognition for Gimblett Gravels Reds
10 September 2008

Two prestigious International Wine Awards have recently announced their results, with three trophies being awarded to wines from the Gimblett Gravels.

Both the 2008 International Wine Challenge and Decanter World Wine Awards feature rigorous reviewing of wines from all over the globe. Gold medals and trophies are notoriously hard to come by; indeed, Decanter state that less than 3% of the 9219 entered wines received such accolade.

Villa Maria’s Reserve Merlot 2005 secured Decanter’s Regional Trophy for Red Bordeaux varietals over GBP10.

Craggy Range’s Le Sol Syrah 2005 secured an impressive double, winning not only an equivalent Decanter trophy for Red Rhone Varietals but also the NZ Syrah Trophy at the International Wine Challenge.

Trinity Hill’s 2007 Hawke’s Bay Syrah also won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge.

Gimblett Gravels Stars at Bragato Wine Awards
August 2008

Gimblett Gravels wines added a further 3 trophies and 7 gold medals to its accolades
list following the recent Bragato Wine Awards, celebrating excellence of single-vineyard wines.

Trophies were awarded to the following Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association members:
Champion Cabernet Sauvignon – Mills Reef Elspeth Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Champion Syrah – Newton Forrest Syrah 2006
Champion Other Red Wine – Beach House Montepulciano 2007

Gold medals were also awarded to Mills Reef’s Reserve Merlot Malbec 2007 and Elspeth Syrah 2006, Newton Forrest Malbec 2006 and Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Chardonnay 2007.

Gimblett Gravels – Champions Again!

Syrah from the Gimblett Gravels has continued its extraordinary success with the Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006 winning Champion Wine of Show at the 2008 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, announced 8th March.
This trophy follows an unprecedented 5 Champion Wine of Show successes for Gimblett Gravels Syrah wines in domestic and international wine competitions in 2007.

Other Gimblett Gravels trophy successes at the Royal Easter Show were as follows:

Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006 – Champion Wine of Show and Champion Syrah;
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Merlot 2006 – Champion Merlot or Merlot Predominant Blend;
Mills Reef Elspeth Malbec 2005 – Champion Wine of Other Varieties;
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Noble Viognier 2007 – Champion Sweet Wine

Other Gimblett Gravels wines won gold medals – a full list of award winning wines is available at www.wineshow.co.nz

Media Release - Gimblett Gravels Syrah Wines Conquer All
Gimblett Gravels, 3 December 2007

2007 has seen Gimblett Gravels grown Syrah create an unprecedented achievement, collecting Champion Wine trophies in five prestigious domestic and international wine competitions.

Early in November, Craggy Range ‘Le Sol’ Syrah 2005 was named the top wine in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa as winner of the Wine of Show Trophy at the Tri-Nations Wine Challenge, beating out not only other top Syrahs and Shirazes from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa but all other red and white wines in the competition.

That was followed, at the Air New Zealand Wine awards, by Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2006 winning both the Champion Syrah Trophy and the Champion Wine of Show Trophy, eclipsing all other red and white wines at the show. At the same show, Esk Valley Reserve Syrah 2006 won the Champion Exhibition Red Trophy.

These results continue the earlier run of success achieved in the following competitions:

Royal Easter Show – Champion Wine of Show – Esk Valley Reserve Syrah 2005;
Hawke’s Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards – Champion Wine of Show – Vidal Reserve Syrah 2005;
Liquorland Top 100 – Champion Red Wine of Show – Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2006.

Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association Chairman, John O’Connor of Matariki Wines, has offered hearty congratulations to the triumphant vineyards, all foundation members of the Association and avid proponents of the fabulous fruit produced from the special soils and climate of the district. “To Steve Smith (Craggy Range), John Hancock (Trinity Hill), Gordon Russell (Esk Valley) and Hugh Crichton (Vidal Wines) and their teams I would like to convey the admiration of the Association and its members – we salute their skills in bottling the Gimblett Gravels magic. These are all fabulous accolades to be added to an already enormous collection that the district has amassed in its relatively short history.”

O’Connor adds “Indeed, many other Association members’ Syrahs have won gold medals here and overseas this year. There is little doubt that Gimblett Gravels Syrah is a world-beating wine, and set to become New Zealand’s next international star.”

The Gimblett Gravels appellation covers 800 hectares, strictly determined by the gravely soils, laid down by the Ngaruroro river, which were exposed after a huge flood in 1867. Once considered ‘useless’ for agriculture, the district’s gravely soils combine with temperatures often considerably warmer than those enjoyed by sunny neighbouring Hastings city.

Founded in 2001, the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association brings together some of New Zealand’s finest wine producers with a fervent respect for the concept of terroir – harnessing this philosophy with the vineyard soils and microclimate to produce character fruit - as the catalyst for superb wines.

2006 Air NZ Wine Awards - 4 Trophies For Gimblett Gravels

Red wines from Gimblett Gravels members secured 4 trophies in the following categories:

Merlot Class
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2004

Click here to read more>>

Golden Run Continues

Gimblett Gravels members’ wines have once again dominated the fuller bodied red wine categories, securing 11 of the 15 Gold medals awarded in the Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah and Other Red Varietal Classes.

Confirming the versatility of this unique district, a Gold medal was also awarded to one member’s Chardonnay.

All Gold medal winning wines have the chance of securing Class Trophies and the ultimate Wine of Show – results to be announced at a gala dinner on Saturday 11th November.

Click here to read more>>

Hawke's Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards
Gimblett Gravels Champions Again!

Gimblett Gravels reds secured the Champion and Reserve Champion wines of show at the above awards last night.

Champion wine went to Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2004.

Click here to read more>>

Gimblett Gravels – The All Blacks of Red Wine?

Showing similar strength in depth to their rugby counterparts, wines produced by members of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association dominated the red wine categories when the 2006 Tri-Nations Wine Challenge results were announced at the end of August.

Click here to read more>>

Success at Bragato Wine Awards 2006

Congratulations to Newton Forrest Cornerstone Vineyard for winning the Champion Classical Red Wine and Tom McDonald Memorial Trophy for their Cornerstone Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2002.

Click here to read more>>