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.
Competing against wines from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa – all selected by leading wine judges – Gimblett Gravels wines won the trophies for top Cabernet Sauvignon (John Forrest Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2004) and Bordeaux Blend (Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2002 with Trinity Hill’s Homage Cabernet Merlot 2004 coming second). As a result NZ won the Bordeaux Blends category and wines from the Gimblett Gravels also contributed significantly to New Zealand winning the overall category for Syrah/Shiraz.
Present Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association Chairman, John O’Connor, himself a former Junior All Black, commented “These results further demonstrate New Zealand’s capability to produce world-class warmer climate red wines. The fact that the majority of the selected New Zealand wines were produced by members of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association serves to reinforce our collective aim to produce wines of the finest quality and character from a unique soil and microclimate.”
A full list of results is available at www.trinationswine.com |