2020 Elephant Hill Hieronymus Hawke's Bay
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Tasting notes
Crafted from the Gimblett Gravels, Hieronymous is Elephant Hill's flagship Bordeaux-inspired blend. The 2020 vintage combines Cabernet Sauvignon (38.5%), Merlot (38.5%) and Cabernet Franc (23%) before heading to barrels (just over half new) for 24 months. Compared with the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant expression of 2019, this is a little more open and curvy, with a sense of fine, gravelly tannins cupping the entirety of the mouth. There's decent concentration here with soft plummy fruits meeting savory and herbal characters, cedar, spices and a delicate top note of violets. A bright flush of fresh acidity runs through the wine as it finishes, making for a refreshing conclusion. Those tannins need several years in bottle to polymerize.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Full screwcapped bottle 1,329 g. 38.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38.5% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc planted east–west 20 years ago on flat, thin topsoil of fine, sandy loam over stone gravels mixed with varying proportions of sand. Picked 24 March, 3 and 4 April. Aged for 24 months in French oak (54% new). Deep, lustrous crimson. Savoury, sappy nose with just a hint of sweet oak at this stage but there is very endearing ripe fruit. Very lively but with a great velvety texture too. Should mature into something really very exciting. (JR)