2017 Wine Show Results
OCTOBER
Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards
Champion Wine of Show
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Trophy Red Blends – Cabernet Sauvignon Dominant
Beach House Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015
Trophy Red Blends – Merlot Dominant
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Gold medal red blends – Cabernet Sauvignon dominant
Beach House Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015
Mills Reef Elspeth Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett 2015
Vidal Legacy Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Gold medal red blends – Merlot dominant
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Sacred Hill Brokenstone 2015
Gold medal Syrah
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2014
Mills Reef Reserve Syrah 2016
Squawking Magpie Stoned Crow Syrah 2015
Gold medal other premium red varietals and blends
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Malbec 2015
Gold medal Chardonnay
Babich Irongate Chardonnay 2016
Six Nations Wine Challenge
Double Gold and Gold medals awarded to the following GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines, with Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013 awarded a Trophy and Class Winner:
Merlot & Carmanere Class
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013 TROPHY & Class Winner
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2015 Double Gold
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17, Plateau Block Merlot 2014 Gold
Mission Jewelstone Merlot 2013 Gold
Shiraz/Syrah Class
Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2015 Double Gold
Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2014 Double Gold
Vidal Legacy Series Syrah 2014 Gold
Cabernet Sauvignon Class
Vidal Legacy Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Gold
Villa Maria Library Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Gold
Other Reds Class
Villa Maria Reserve Malbec 2013 Gold
Bordeaux Blends
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014 Double Gold
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2014 Double Gold
Sacred Hill Helmsman Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc 2014 Gold
Red Blends
Sacred Hill Brokenstone Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah Malbec 2014 Gold
SEPTEMBER
New Zealand International Wine Show
A great result, with a Trophy and six Gold medals awarded to the following GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines:
CABERNET SAUVIGNON & CABERNET PREDOMINANT BLENDS
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Cabernet Merlot 2015
MERLOT & MERLOT PREDOMINANT BLENDS
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc 2015
Mission Jewelstone Antoine 2015
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Merlot 2015
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
MALBEC,CABERNET FRANC OR PETIT VERDOT PREDOMINANT
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Malbec 2013 (TROPHY for Champion NZ Bordeaux Red Wine)
AUGUST
China Wine & Spirits Awards 2017
We were thrilled to learn of Mills Reef Winery’s success, with Gold medals awarded to their 2013 Elspeth Trust Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Elspeth Syrah.
Romeo Bragato Wine Awards 2017
These awards are unique in the Wine Show calendar in that they recognise the growers as well as the wines.
2015 Saint Clair James Sinclair Cabernet Merlot took home the Tom McDonald Memorial Trophy for Champion Classical Red Wine (Neal and Judy Ibbotson growers), while a Gold medal was awarded to:
Syrah
Te Awa Single Estate Hawkes Bay Syrah 2013 – Richard Painter grower
JULY
San Francisco International Wine Competition 2017
GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines came home with an impressive haul, collecting 2 Double Gold medals and a Gold medal.
Squawking Magpie 2013 SQM Cabernet was awarded a Double Gold medal, as was Trinity Hill 2014 Syrah, while Mills Reef 2013 Elspeth Syrah took home a Gold medal.
MAY
International Wine Challenge 2017
GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines came home with an impressive haul, collecting 7 Gold medals and a Trophy.
Pask Declaration Chardonnay 2014 was a Gold medal and Trophy winner, with Gold medals also awarded to:
Vidal Reserve Syrah 2015
Pask Declaration Syrah 2014
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Squawking Magpie Stoned Crow Syrah 2014
Vidal Legacy Syrah 2014
Saint Clair Hawkes Bay Premium Viognier 2015
MARCH
Royal Easter Show Wine Awards
GIMBLETT GRAVELS wines swept the floor in the fuller bodied reds classes taking home two trophies and nine gold medals:
Cabernet Sauvignon Class
Saint Clair James Sinclair Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2015
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Cabernet Merlot 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 – TROPHY
Merlot Class
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2013
Te Awa Single Estate Hawkes Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot 2013
Syrah Class
Mills Reef Reserve Syrah 2015
Te Awa Single Estate Hawkes Bay Syrah 2014
Other Red Varietals
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Malbec 2013 – TROPHY
FEBRUARY
Sydney International Wine Competition
Two GIMBLETT GRAVELS Syrahs were awarded Blue Golds and ‘Top 100 wine’ status at the 2017 Sydney International Wine Competition.
The results are no mean feat, given over 2000 wines are entered. Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Syrah 2014 and Trinity Hill Syrah 2015 were the winning wines.