Rainfall from January to April was less than a quarter of the average and the warm, dry growing season led to superb flavour development with the fruit picked in impeccable condition. The challenges lay in Covid.
Lockdown created uncertainty as to whether harvest could continue but thankfully it did, and the wines are a shining light from those difficult times.
These wines are priced aspirationally, and I may be underscoring some of them as they are built for the future.
2020 Craggy Range Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Syrah
Rating: Outstanding
Fragrant nose, yeasty warm
bread, florality, spices,
savoury notes growing, a
brightness and clarity. Red
fruits mingle with darker fruits,
brooding and intense with
powerful, chewy tannins a
corset to the wine. Black
olive, savoury nuances,
oak scents, delightful
intensity yet poised and
balanced. A long, dry
close, the flavours hang
in the mouth. Power for
the future.
2020 Trinity Hill Homage Gimblett Gravels Syrah
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
A rush of intense berry fruit
leads, cedary oak perfume,
spices, gravel dust, humus,
savoury, nice complexity.
Sweet fruit echoes the nose,
shifting to savoury qualities,
an almost balsamic umami
quality, fine tannins
running to a long, dry
finish. Understated yet
lots going on, an
elegance to this, the
tannins growing with
time. Lovely persistence.
2020 Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: Excellent
Perfumed, wisps of milk
chocolate, olive and plum.
Silky entry then a rush of tannin
and acidity showcases the
structure. Sweetly fruited,
shifting from raspberry to
plum on its medium to
full-bodied frame adding
gravel and earthy touches.
A tangy aspect acts as a foil
to the plushness, while the
acidity brings raciness.
Already approachable.
2020 Elephant Hill Stone Merlot Cab Sav Cab Franc
Rating: Excellent
A touch of funky wildness
draws you in: fragrance,
mint/leaf, black tea leaf,
wood smoke, fruit supporting
the whole. Richly fruited,
hints of toffee edging to
chocolate, yet freshness,
too. You expect richness
here, but there’s a
delightfully cool
undercurrent bringing
elegance. Aeration sees
this tighten up, somewhat
hiding its charms.
2020 Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Malbec
Rating: Excellent
Dusty, earthy nuances,
plum/berry compote, forest
floor, a savoury aspect.
Darker fruits, quite rich, a
savoury/umami undercurrent
echoes the nose. Sweeter
fruit characters, a ripe fruited
cuddliness, open and
drinkable from the get go,
although the acid backbone
and building tannins remind
you of the intent behind it.
2020 Elephant Hill Gimblett Gravels Hieronymus
Rating: Excellent
Brooding dark fruits, bloody,
freshening leaf tinged fragrance
beginning to appear. Richly
silken entry, a darker, earthy
undercurrent, warm leather,
this treads a different path.
Brightness to the acidity, a
fine tannic backbone that
complements the wine’s
fruit depth, all with
complexity and interest.
