2024 Hawkes Bay Chardonnay, Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay

• Style: Warm, textured Chardonnay
• Taste: Citrus and stone fruit with roasted nuts, creamy richness
• Food: Poultry, shellfish, white fish, oily fish, pasta
• Occasion: Weeknight, Sunday lunch
• Serve: 12.5% ABV, screwcap

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

This Chardonnay rewards a slow pour, showing warmth and richness with a tension that keeps drawing you back. Citrus brightness dances against creamy orchard stone fruit and roasted hazelnut weight. The palate has real presence without heaviness—generous yet precise, effortless to drink but clearly the result of careful thought. At 12.5% ABV, it sits where power never tips into bluntness.

The Winery — Trinity Hill

Trinity Hill has anchored Hawkes Bay's reputation since 1993. Winemaker Warren Gibson, steering the estate since 1997 and managing 80 hectares of vineyard, recognised the outstanding potential of Gimblett Gravels soils early on. His team crafts wines showing elegance, balance, drinkability and precision of flavour. The 2024 fruit draws from four vineyard sites—half from the free-draining Gimblett Gravels, with parcels from Haumoana's silty soils and Ohiti's inland character blended for balance. Trinity Hill used both stainless steel and French oak puncheons to build texture without overwhelming the fruit, kept malolactic fermentation restrained to preserve freshness, and aged six months on lees for mouthfeel and depth. The 2024 vintage delivered a classic summer of long, hot days and cool nights, then a dry autumn for ideal ripening.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Pair it with anything butter-touched—roasted chicken with brown butter sauce, pan-seared scallops, creamy pasta. The wine's structure and acidity cut through richness without losing its warmth, making it equally happy alongside grilled fish or braised white meat. The Chardonnay grape itself is endlessly food-friendly, and Trinity Hill's handling shows why. Perfect for weeknight dinners or Sunday lunch when you want something that feels special but doesn't demand occasion. If you're building a New Zealand selection with real depth, this belongs in your cellar. Screwcap closure keeps it fresh.