2008 Wine Show Results
Air NZ Wine Awards
3 Trophies and 9 Gold Medals
Trophies awarded as follows:
Champion Sustainable Wine Trophy – Crossroads Winery Elms Vineyard Reserve Syrah 2007
Champion Other Red Styles Trophy – Trinity Hill GIMBLETT GRAVELS Tempranillo 2007
Champion Other White Styles Trophy – Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2007
Gold Medals awarded:
Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends Class
Mission Estate Jewelstone 2007
Alternative Reds Class
Trinity Hill Tempranillo 2007
Syrah Class
Crossroads Winery Elms Vineyard Reserve Syrah 2007 (Pure Elite Gold)
Mission Estate Reserve Syrah 2007 (Pure Elite Gold)
Esk Valley Reserve Syrah (Elite Gold)
Vidal Reserve Syrah (Elite Gold)
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2006
Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006
Viognier Class
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2007
Hawkes Bay Wine Awards
A further 5 trophy haul, including Champion Wine of Show.
Trophies as follows:
Champion Wine of Show & Syrah – Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2006
Champion Export Wine of Show – Mills Reef Elspeth Syrah 2006
Champion Merlot Dominant Red Blends – Trinity Hill The Gimblett 2006
Champion Museum Class – Squawking Magpie GIMBLETT GRAVELS Chardonnay 2004
Gold Medals awarded:
Merlot Class
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2005
Red Blends – Merlot Dominant
Trinity Hill The Gimblett 2006
Syrah Class
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2006
Crossroads Winery Elms Vineyard Reserve Syrah 2007
Mills Reef Elspeth Syrah 2006
Vidal Reserve Syrah 2006
Viognier Class
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2007
Museum Class
Squawking Magpie GIMBLETT GRAVELS Chardonnay 2004
Squawking Magpie GIMBLETT GRAVELS The Stoned Crow Syrah 2004
Romeo Bragato
3 Trophies in the following categories:
Champion Cabernet Sauvignon
Mills Reef Elspeth Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Paddy & Tim Preston)
Champion Syrah
Newton Forrest Syrah 2006 (Bob Newton)
Champion Other Red
Beach House Montepulciano 2007 (Chris Harrison)
Gold Medals awarded:
Cabernet Sauvignon Predominant Class
Mills Reef Elspeth Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Merlot Predominant Class
Mills Reef Reserve Merlot Malbec 2007
Other Red Wines Class
Beach House Montepulciano 2007
Newton Forrest Malbec 2006
Syrah Class
Mills Reef Elspeth Syrah 2006
Newton Forrest Syrah 2006
Chardonnay Class
Craggy Range GIMBLETT GRAVELS Chardonnay 2007
NZ International Wine Show
Gold Medals awarded:
Merlot Predominant Blends Class
Sacred Hill Basket Press Merlot Cabernet 2007
Syrah Class
Sacred Hill Wine Thief Syrah 2006
Chardonnay Class
Trinity Hill GIMBLETT GRAVELS Chardonnay 2006
Other White Class
Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Arneis 2008
Liquorland Top 100
Champion Merlot Trophy – Vidal Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Champion Viognier Trophy – Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2007
Gold Medals awarded:
Merlot Class
Goldwater Estate GIMBLETT GRAVELS Merot 2006
Squawking Magpie SQM Merlot Cabernet 2005
Thornbury Merlot 2005
Vidal Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Syrah/Shiraz Class
Beach House Syrah 2007
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2006
Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006
Viognier Class
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier 2007
Royal Easter Show
Syrah from the GIMBLETT GRAVELS has continued its extraordinary success with the Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006 winning Champion Wine of Show at the 2008 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards.
Other GIMBLETT GRAVELS trophy successes at the Royal Easter Show were as follows:
Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006 – Champion Wine of Show and Champion Syrah;
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Merlot 2006 – Champion Merlot or Merlot Predominant Blend;
Mills Reef Elspeth Malbec 2005 – Champion Wine of Other Varieties;
Trinity Hill GIMBLETT GRAVELS Noble Viognier 2007 – Champion Sweet Wine
Other GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines won gold medals in the following categories:
Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot Predominant Class
Newton Forrest Stony Corner 2006
Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red Merlot Malbec 2006
Merlot Class
Thornbury Merlot 2005
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Merlot 2006
Syrah Class
Babich Winemakers Reserve Syrah 2006
Esk Valley Reserve Syrah 2006
Vidal Reserve Syrah 2005
Vidal Reserve Syrah 2006
Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006
Other Red Varietals Class
Mills Reef Elspeth Malbec 2006
Unspecified or Blended Reds Class
Newton Forrest Cornerstone 2006
Sweet White Class
Trinity Hill GIMBLETT GRAVELS Noble Viognier 2007
International Wine Challenge
Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2005 won the NZ Syrah Trophy at the International Wine Challenge.
Trinity Hill 2007 Hawke’s Bay Syrah won a gold medal.
Decanter World Wine Awards
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2005 secured Decanter’s Regional Trophy for Red Bordeaux varietals over GBP10.
Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2005 secured an equivalent Decanter trophy for Red Rhone Varietals.
Tri-Nations Wine Challenge
A unique competition between wines of NZ, Australia and South Africa with wines submitted by independent wine judges. GG wines achieved Top 2 rankings in both the Syrah and Merlot categories, as follows:
Syrah Class
1st Place – Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2006
2nd place (equal) – Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2006
2nd place (equal) – Esk Valley Reserve Syrah 2006
Merlot Class
1st Place – Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Merlot 2006
2nd Place – Newton Forrest Merlot 2006
Golds were also awarded to:
Syrah Class – Craggy Range Block 14 Syrah 2006
Merlot Class – Craggy Range Te Kahu Merlot 2006
Cabernet Class – Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2005
Other Reds Class – Newton Forrest Malbec 2006
Other Reds Class – Mills Reef Elspeth Malbec 2005 (2nd placing)
Chardonnay Class – Craggy Range Les Beaux Cailloux 2006