2009 Pinot Noir, Bell Hill Vineyard, Canterbury
Bell Hill Vineyard is one of the only true limestone vineyards in New Zealand and produces without doubt, one of the finest expressions of Pinot Noir in the country. Farmed biodynamically and produced using Burgundian principles, Bell Hill Pinot is a wine of extraordinary beauty, which prizes complexity and nuance, over sheer power and primary fruit. The wines are delicious in their youth, but really blossom with bottle age. On the nose it displays hedgerow fruit, Christmas spice character and a wonderful violet note. The palate is rich and appealing, with pure, mouth-watering berry fruit, dense, gripping tannins and a bright acidity. There is a subtle smoky mineral note here that carries through onto a long, fine and very fresh finish. Beautiful.