2014 Bell Hill Chardonnay

The 2014 Chardonnay has a tightly wound bouquet that demands more coaxing from the glass than I anticipate. There are very subtle white peach and yellow plum scents and an underlying crushed stone note. The voluminous, generous palate is well balanced, featuring quite a rounded, fat opening and just a hint of peach skin and dried orange rind towards the finish. This is a fine Chardonnay from Bell Hill, though I cannot help feeling that there are better vintages out there. I wanted it to give me more tension.

Bell Hill's 2014 Chardonnay somehow manages to deliver ample weight and richness in the absence of overt fruit. Delicate notes of struck flint, pencil shavings (it saw 16% new French oak for 12 months) and wet stone expand in the mouth to deliver volume and flesh, but the fruit is restrained, offering subtle hints of white nectarine and pineapple on the mid-palate. Finally, peach and citrus notes burst free on the lingering finish. It's a fine, unique expression of New Zealand Chardonnay, just not representative of the overall market.