2008 Bell Hill Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Possessing a pretty perfume of honeysuckle, fresh peaches and coriander seeds, the 2008 Chardonnay reveals a chalky undercurrent with coaxing. Wonderfully intense and packed with tightly-wound flavors, it is still very youthful and has a lingering fruity finish with a touch of new oak poking through. Approachable now, it should drink to 2018+. First planted in 1997, as the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines continue to mature on this incredibly placed remote vineyard and winery positioned on an old limestone quarry, Bell Hill just gets more and more exciting. Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen have raised the bar high here, not just for New Zealand but for the world. Production is tiny and sadly even tinier in 2010 due to poor flowering. Only 1.5 barrels of the Chardonnay and 4 barrels of the Pinot Noir were produced in 2010 but the wines, in a word, rock. Anyone who truly wants to understand the potential of New Zealand’s greatest terroirs must find a bottle of Bell Hill. Importer: Ronnie Sanders, Vine Street Imports, Philadelphia, PA; tel. (215) 533 9464; Terrell Wines, www.terrellwines.com
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very pale gold. Sappy, appetising and savoury in burgundian style. Fresh and well defined. Though no concessions to sweetness. Still very dry on end but with good substance. Good finish. (JR)
Shelf and Limeworks blocks. Crushed (for more lees) and basket pressed. Delicate but fine aroma of ripe citrus and some oak toastiness and a touch of smokiness but also linden blossom and a note of linseed. Really tight and crisp and fine high acid even with 100% malo. Subtle and incredibly long. Still so young. A little more austere than the 2009. Very refined. (JH)