There’s an old Chinese proverb about balance and harmony, which translates to something along the lines of “good things come in pairs”, which paints an accurate picture of vintages in Hawke’s Bay over the past decade.
The very good to outstanding years of 2013 and 2014 were an excellent pair of vintages. As were 2020 and 2021. And then, as if to flip things on their head entirely, there was 2022 and 2023. These years were a touch more challenging, not to put too fine a point on it.
The big reds from 2023 have yet to make an appearance but the top wines from 2022 which made their way into the Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection (GGAVS ) have been rewarded for their winemakers’ experience – and the free draining gravels of the Gimblett Gravels. The stones in this vast (approximately 800 hectare vineyard sub region) absorb the sun on warm days, retain it at night and reflect it back onto the vines. Stony soils also drain freely, which is incredibly helpful in a year such as 2022, as these wines reveal.
What is the Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection?
Independent wine expert Andrew Caillard MW is employed every year by the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association (GGWA) to taste a wide range of reds from the Gimblett Gravels to come up with his top 12 wines. All wines are tasted blind each year.
The latest top 12 represent the 15th year running that this selection has been made and also one of toughest years. The 2022 vintage in Hawke’s Bay was characterised by hefty downpours of rain in spring, in February and again late in the ripening season.
The long term average rainfall in Hawke’s Bay each year is 429mm but in 2022 that figure was 642mm for the year. Despite the rain, the best wines are extremely impressive, showing wildly intense depth of colour ranging from deep ruby to concentrated purple. And the flavours are similar. Robust tannin ripeness and full bodied wines are the order of the day in this top 12, which demonstrate a consistent adherence to less is more when it came to oak influence in these wines, which shows as a restrained feature of the wine, working with it rather than scrambling to be heard. I found the ripe characteristics to be consistent across the entire top 12 GGAVS wines of 2022.
The top 12 GGAVS from 2022
2022 Church Road 1 Malbec RRP $120
2022 Esk Vallely Artisanal Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot RRP $24.99
2022 Mills Reef Reserve Merlot RRP $26.99
2022 Mission Reserve Merlot RRP $30
2022 Squawking Magpie The Nest RRP $59.95
2022 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett RRP $40
2022 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $18.99
2022 Church Road Tom Syrah RRP $220
2022 Craggy Range Le Sol RRP $180
2022 Smith & Sheth CRU Heretaunga Syrah RRP $40
2022 Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Serine Syrah RRP $33
2022 Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Reserve Syrah RRP $60
Cellar these
There’s a strong case (if you’ll excuse the pun) to be made for cellaring all 12 of these wines but if I was gambling about which to invest in for the long term (10 years+), I would opt for the 2022 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett RRP $40; 2022 Church Road Tom Syrah RRP $220; 2022 Craggy Range Le Sol; 2022 Squawking Magpie The Nest and Esk Valley Artisanal Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.
Try these
2022 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett RRP $40
If structure and weight woo your tastebuds in, The Gimblett rises in stature every vintage as a top pick from Hawke’s Bay. This year is one of my absolute faves and the blend is the reason why; it’s 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tempranillo, both of which combine in adding depth of perfumed dark fruit and a soft smooth, plump rounded mouthfeel. It spent 24 months in French oak, 32% new.
2022 Church Road Tom Syrah RRP $220
Bold, dark and incredibly youthful, Tom Syrah from 2022 begs for time in the cellar and then in your best decanter. It has spicy hallmarks of ripe Syrah and extra dark fruit from 6% Malbec. The wine spent 17 months in French oak, 31% new.
2022 Craggy Range Le Sol RRP $180
Deep, dark and juicy Syrah that spent 17 months in French and Austrian oak (45% new), gaining rounded softness and a long, smooth texture. It needs time to evolve and unfold into all its spicy dark fruit scented glory but will also reward now when decanted and given time.
2022 Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Serine Syrah RRP $33
Stony free draining soils and vine age of 15 to 40 years are the story of this wine’s success, along with experienced winemaking and extended oak ageing for 17 months in French oak (20% new). These factors contribute to a smooth, rounded, spicy Syrah with approachable red and dark plum lushness now and plenty of structure to age for up to a decade.
The picture illustrating this post is of Craggy Range's vineyard within the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District in Hawke's Bay.
