2019 Bell Hill Chardonnay

It's been a while between drinks for Bell Hill Chardonnay and The Wine Advocate, so I am pleases to see it here today. This 2019 Chardonnay leads with nuts, ripe peach, pineapple, shaved fennel and apricot kernel. The wine is rich and opulent in the mouth, with a sort of attractive acidity that balances the ripe fruit and opens the way for the phenolics profile through the finish. This is a highly prized wine in Australia and a hard one to get a hold of. I drove past this vineyard when I was in North Canterbury, at the end of 2023, and I look forward to getting a closer look at the relatively close-planted vineyard (11,363 vines per hectare) next time I am there. There's an attractive, mineral, quinine freshness to this wine that I like very much. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.