Winemaker Notes
Light hint of florals, petrichor, and wet stone on first breath followed by a wave of blueberry, blackberry, violets and brambly dark heady notes. The palate has a rich attack of plum and dense tannin. The midpalate is chalky with dusty tannins and finishes with fresh, lingering acidity, leaving edgy and drying tannins on the palate, reflective of the famous Gimblett Gravels soil.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a medium- to full-bodied Malbec that embodies the power and freshness of Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay. Cranberry and cherry tart aromas mingle with vanillin oak and bundles of earthy spices like cumin, bay, cloves and mint. It’s less harmonious on the palate, with elevated acidity amid chalky, powerful-yet-fine tannin's and crunchy red and black berry flavors throughout. Drink now with a roast lamb or grilled mushrooms, or cellar until 2027.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Gimblett Gravels region of New Zealand has been gaining traction amongst wine lovers, and rightly so. The 2017 Decibel Malbec is a delicious wine riving some of the best from Mendoza. TASTING NOTES: This is a firm wine with healthy tannins. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit, dusty earth, and blackberries should pair well with grilled short ribs. (Tasted: July 3, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.