Bell Hill Vineyard, Chardonnay, Canterbury, New Zealand, 2021

Producer Profile

Bell Hill Vineyard is a boutique winery situated in the Weka Pass area of North Canterbury.

Established in 1997 by Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen, the vineyard is on the site of a former limestone quarry that imparts unique characteristics to the resulting wines, which are known for their elegance, complexity, and longevity. The Pinot Noir exhibits layers of ripe red and dark fruits with fine tannins, while the Chardonnay offers flinty complexity and a tight structure that evolves beautifully with age.

Viticulture

Bell Hill Chardonnay brings together fruit from several key parcels, shaped by a season that favoured clarity, freshness and fine structure. Crafted with a strong sense of place, the wine reflects both the limestone-rich soils and Bell Hill’s restrained, thoughtful approach.

Winemaking

All the fruit was crushed before pressing, followed by 12 months in French oak (predominantly 1- to 3-year old wood), 7 months in tank and then bottled.

Tasting Note

In the glass, the wine shows a luminous green-gold hue. Aromatically, it leans towards minerality and maritime freshness, with notes of wet stone, sea air and subtle flint, layered with white florals and hints of citrus blossom. The palate is vibrant and finely poised, offering a saline, mouth-watering quality alongside flavours of lime, oyster shell and gentle creaminess. Acidity carries the wine with quiet confidence, while a firm mineral thread maintains tension and focus through to a clean, tactile finish. Expressive now, the wine continues to gain depth and texture with air, developing a gentle grapefruit pith character that adds definition and length.

Food matching

An ideal match would be pan-seared hapuku (groper) with a lemon beurre blanc, accompanied by grilled fennel and a cauliflower purée