08-Mar-2018
The freshness, elegance and intensity of the Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay white wines is due in no small part to their Te Awanga coastal vineyard origins. The vineyard is only metres from the sea line, and afternoon sea breezes result in slower ripening and preservation of acidity, these being values traits in the white varieties. Elephant Hill also has Syrah planted at Te Awanga, but the Bordeaux red varieties are obtained from the company’s warmer inland sites in the Bridge Pa Triangle and in the Gimblett Gravels. Here, I review the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc and ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay, the fruit for both predominantly if not wholly from the Te Awanga site. www.elephanthill.co.nz
