If you haven’t seen these two articles in conversation recently with Simon Swa and Hugh Crichton at Elephant Hill, do have a look – https://winefolio.co.nz/?p=6609 and https://winefolio.co.nz/?p=6400. The company is moving towards releasing sets of three distinct sub-regional wines – labelled Stone, Earth and Sea. Each represents one parcel of land that they farm – from Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa to Te Awanga. The ‘Earth’ wines are not released this year, but today I have three of the Stone series, showcasing the Gimblett Gravels.
Elephant Hill Stone Syrah 2019
100% handpicked Syrah from the Stone vineyard – 80% is clone 470 and 20% MS. Showing a lot of fragrance – beautifully perfumed with a lift of violet and lavender on the nose. A fresh acidity gives excellent linear drive through the palate and then the bold, fine tannin kicks in, giving structure and spine to the wine. Elegantly balanced, with robust, ripe fruit – elderberry, damson and dark cheeries – underpinned with a whole-cluster influenced savoury spice. Dense and rich on the long, lingering finish. 95pts
Elephant Hill Stone Merlot 2019
Handpicked fruit from the Gimblett Gravels, with just a 2% addition from Bridge Pa. A serious, structured style, showing a classic Bordeaux style. An inkily dark ruby colour, with aromatics that are filled with cedar, cranberry, vanilla, plum, graphite, and hedgerow notes of rosemary and blackberry. A prickle of drying tannin leads into the dense palate. Oak plays a part here – seasoning the mid-palate with a toasty spice, laid over a succulent core of dark fleshy fruit. Firmly concentrated into a good length on the finish. 94pts
Elephant Hill Stone Cabernet Franc 2018
A rare treat of Cabernet franc flying solo, and from the famous Gimblett Gravels too. Bold and attractive nose filled with smoky fragrance – plum, cherry, dark chocolate, sandalwood, sloe berries and violets. An elegant and complex palate, leaning heavily on the chalky tannin, but also with a bright acidity across broad shoulders. A drying tartness and a touch of bitters, with savoury notes of black olive and a stony earthiness. Although four years old, this still needs a little time to emulsify those layers. Herbaceous and dark on the finish. 92pts
