2006 Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay

Sourced mainly from Mendoza clone plantings and aged 35% in new oak, the 2006 Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay has a neutral Chardonnay nose with touches of pineapple and pink grapefruit emerging with aeration. Reasonably well-balanced on the palate, a touch phenolic perhaps but with an attractive honeysuckle finish with good delineation and vivacity. Trinity Hill is one of Hawkes Bay's outstanding producers and one of the country's finest proponents of Syrah. With two 20-hectare holdings in the Gimblett Gravels, chief winemaker and -bluesman- John Hancock along with Warren Gibson (see Bilancia) and Michael Bell are fashioning dense, powerful yet supremely well-balanced wines that rank amongst the best wines New Zealand produces and come highly recommended. Importer: Via Pacifica Selections, Sebastopol, CA; (707) 823-3320; fax (707) 823-3393