Bell Hill Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Canterbury, New Zealand ***On Allocation***, 2019

Producer Profile

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

Established in 1997 by Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen, the vineyard occupies a former limestone quarry, which imparts unique characteristics to its wines. 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

The Bell Hill Pinot Noir is an 8-barrel blend of the Shelf parcels, the Shelf West, Quarry Rootlings and 10/5, Roadblock and Slope.

Winemaking

All of the fruit was destemmed, and each block had 23 to 28 days on skins with cold pre-ferment and warm post-ferment macerations. After basket pressing, the wine went into 100% new French oak, it was racked and blended after 12 months and had 7 months in tank before bottling.

Tasting Note

A deeply fruited nose leads with cool blue fruits and hints of red florals. There's a lovely richness—restrained rather than bold—complemented by baked spices and subtle herbal undertones that invite further exploration. The palate shows impressive tension and bright acidity, with a saline thread and a graceful lavender finish. Concentrated and powerful, it carries mouth-coating tannins while maintaining freshness and vibrancy across the palate.

Food Matching

Beef bourguignon, charcuterie and cheeseboards, roast meat and game, this would also work with perch in a red wine sauce.