New Zealand's second largest wine region on the eastern coast of the North Island, producing the country's finest red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec alongside exceptional Chardonnay. The Gimblett Gravels sub-zone — a former riverbed of free-draining shingle and loam soils — is New Zealand's most distinctive red wine terroir, producing Bordeaux and Rhône-style reds of international quality. The maritime climate creates wines of greater warmth and structure than Marlborough.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | Outstanding Hawkes Bay vintage; Gimblett Gravels Syrah and Cabernet showed extraordinary depth and Rhône-comparable complexity. |
| 2021 | — | Classic vintage; the North Island's warmth produced Merlot and Syrah of excellent structure and dark fruit intensity. |
| 2020 | — | Benchmark year; Craggy Range and Te Mata produced internationally acclaimed Gimblett Gravels reds of exceptional quality. |
| 2019 | — | Greatest Hawkes Bay vintage of the modern era; Syrah achieved New Zealand's highest critical scores from this sub-region. |
| 2018 | — | Solid vintage; Chardonnay from Bridge Pa Triangle showed excellent mineral freshness; Cabernet of excellent structure. |