Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard 2022
Trade Tools
New Zealand
Te Kahu means 'the cloak' in te reo Māori and refers to the mist that envelops Giants Winery in the Tukituki Valley. Legend has it that this mist was used to protect a mythical Maori maiden from the sun as she visited her lover, Te Mata. The fruit for Te Kahu is grown in the Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, which enjoys one of the warmest, driest, most sundrenched climates in New Zealand. Stony gravel in the soil forces the vines to fight for water, giving the grapes a particular vibrancy.
Harvest Note
A hot, early spring with minimal frosts transitioned to a warm summer with several rain events post-Christmas, attesting to a typical La Nina season.
Tasting Note
Bright nose with notes of cedar, cassis and blackcurrant mingled with dried tobacco. The palate is very precise, revealing black fruit and violets with great energy. There is plenty of chocolate framing the tannins, and it has a fantastic structure. On reflection, a perfect example of a Bordeaux style blend from the Gimblett Gravels with an excellent future ahead.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 77% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc
APPELLATION: Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay
PH: 3.62
ACIDITY: 5.79
ABV: 13%
AGING: 18 months in oak barriques, 18% new
Unique Selling Points
- The Gimblett Gravels appellation is known as New Zealand's best terroir for Bordeaux blends and Syrah.
- The stony, free-draining soil structure forces the vines to struggle and dig deep for nutrients, reducing canopy vigor and producing wines of exceptional character and intensity.
- The river stones absorb the day's heat and radiate warmth at night, helping promote good ripening and flavor development.
I am fortunate to lead an extraordinary group of people who want to be part of creating something truly magnificent that successive generations can admire and enjoy for years to come. I love our great estates and feel a strong connection to their complexities and subtleties.
Ben Tombs, Winemaker
About the Grape
Merlot
Merlot makes plump, succulent wines to drink young or opulently massive wines for aging. Has silky, blackberry and currant fruit, with spice, earth, tobacco and chocolate notes, and soft tannins.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc usually shows tart red cherry and wild currant aromas and flavors with an herbal, spicy character. In the Loire, esp. Chinon and Saumur-Champigny, this grape shows firm minerality.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is adaptable to various growing conditions, and is known for its low yield and late ripeness. It generally produces full-bodied wines with substantial acidity and tannins.
Malbec
Well-made Malbec is a dark, perfumed wine with rich, blackberry and damson plum fruit, aromas of violets and tobacco, and ripe, juicy tannins. In France, may be mineral, structured and austere.
