Current Release
We are pleased to be able to show you our new wines. Our Bell Hill wines benefit from bottle ageing and therefore we release them around three and a half years after the harvest vintage. Time since then has proven their longevity.
2021 VINTAGE
An early budburst with frost fighting beginning from September the 3rd on the Shelf. We had two significant frost events, on the 12th and 30th of September, with the second seeing damage of up to 35%. All visibly frost effected vines were tagged to allow for separate treatment. A drawn-out flowering period and patches of rain further decreased yield. Mild weather from then continuing through to harvest with good conditions to allow picking by each individual block’s optimal ripeness. Frosted vines were picked separately for our sparkling wine programme on March 25th and April 13th. The final pick was the Quarry 10/5 Pinot Noir on April 15th. Very focused sorting over harvest with long hours on the sorting tables even with the low yield, ensured evenness of fruit composition. Planting continued in the Big Glory (B); Faith, Hope & Charity (C); and Dynamite Point (D) blocks in the North Arm.
Our winemaking philosophy is simple - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blocks are multi-cloned and harvested, fermented, pressed, and put to barrel separately as individual blocks. This allows us to follow the evolution of the parcels for a year before making blending decisions and gives opportunities to evaluate Single Parcel potential. When we have good volume, we can split blocks for winemaking trials. The yeasts are natural, from the vineyard, we cultivate small starters from each parcel and inoculate with these. Malolactic fermentation is also natural. We don’t use fining or clarification agents, and pre-bottling filtration is minimal – coarse filtering for Chardonnay, the same for Pinot Noir or, from the racking valve down, sometimes not at all. For Chardonnay, the first addition of sulphur is usually at 12 months when the wine comes out of barrel into tank. Pinot Noir sees an addition of sulphur at de-stemming to protect the fruit during its cold maceration time and some tartaric acid adjustment in the fermenter to stabilise pH for long term stability and ageing. The wine is then sulphured in tank after MLF and barrel ageing for 12 months. Small sulphur adjustments are made, if necessary, just before bottling.
BELL HILL
CHARDONNAY 2021
Harvested between the 27th of March and 9th of April 2021 with a range of 21.6 to 23 Brix, the Bell Hill Chardonnay is a 6-barrel blend of the Shelf, Roadblock, and Limeworks parcels. Most fruit was whole cluster pressed (Limeworks 99 and Roadblock) except one parcel which was crushed (Limeworks 09 and Shelf combined pressing), and had 17% new, 50% 1 year old, and 33% 3-year-old French oak, an elevage of 12 months before racking and blending with a further 8 months in tank. Bottled on the 21st of December 2022, with 3.36 pH, 6.4g/L TA and 13.5% alcohol. 1,795 bottles were produced. Yields did not allow us a Single Parcel Chardonnay this season.
Lovely green/gold hue reminiscent of dappled sunlight and green shoots. On the nose, hint of wet stones, flint, sea breeze and mineral, white florals and a touch of orange blossom. Like tears on your tongue, a salivating mouthfeel, fresh oyster, a light taste of lime and fresh cream. A long, vibrant palate, with pretty acid, round and revolving, a strong mineral element displaying from the back palate forward preserving tension and focus. This wine is speaking now, with a purity of language, a true expression of where it’s from. Over time, and with air, it develops a lovely textural grapefruit pith with a dry extract on the palate, giving tension and definition with a clean tactile finish.
BELL HILL
PINOT NOIR 2021
Harvested between the 30th of March and 15th of April with a range of 23.4 to 26.3 Brix, the Bell Hill Pinot Noir is a 13-barrel blend of the Shelf parcels, Quarry Rootlings and 10/5, the Roadblock and Slope. The fruit was mostly destemmed with a single 35% crushed fruit trial in one of the Slope ferments. Each block had 28 to 33 days on skins with cold pre-ferment and warm post-ferment macerations. After basket pressing, the wine went into 100% new French oak, was racked and blended after 12 months and had 8 months in tank before being bottled on the 21st of December 2022 with 3.75 pH, 5.0g/L TA and 13.5% alcohol. 3,729 bottles were produced. A Single Parcel Shelf blend of 887 bottles (3 barrels) will be released with the 2022 vintage.
Medium density in colour with a pure ripe nose with hibiscus and dried thyme. Nice depth of earthy spice elements and struck stone. A bouquet of aromatics, the dried herb blossom and rose petals along with the florals, undergrowth, blueberries, wild strawberry, a hint of smoke, slight touch of cedar gives both an earthbound and ethereal lift which is very intriguing and draws you in. The palate is densely fruited with ripe black peach, raspberry, and orange zest with fresh acidity. Sour cherry on the mid-palate, gaining tension and salinity, fresh game with a bright lift and a dark chocolate highlight. Once it opens up, that reduction lifts away to reveal intriguing layers of spice and depth. It’s super delicious, velvety, textural and wraps around you with flavour and warmth. Comfort breeds confidence, then conversation – this wine is talking. A seamless, flowing, flavoursome palate, beautiful red notes and florals, gaining viscosity and volume, with sweetness and a fine, tannin balance.
Bell Hill
SINGLE PARCEL LIMEWORKS CHARDONNAY 2020
The Limeworks Chardonnay 2020 is a 2.7-barrel blend with 72% Limeworks 1999 and 28% Limeworks 2009. Harvested the 5th of April 2020, at 22.5 to 23 Brix, whole bunch pressed and aged in French oak with 30% new for 12 months followed by racking and blending and a further 9 months in tank before bottling on January 19th, 2022. The final wine has a pH of 3.48g/L, TA of 5.6g/L and 13.5% alcohol. 654 bottles and 96 magnums were produced.
It opens up with restraint and mineral intensity. Fresh herb, white florals lead to a greener edge with time in the glass. On the palate, a savoury note intensifies with a purity of fruit leading to citrus and lime. Harmonious and subtle, the chalkiness creating a tactile tension. A linear flow with salivating minerality, combined with notes of Mexican orange blossom and elder flower – a clean taut mineral line that has tension of fruit and balance -creating a lovely fine-lined flow that goes on to the finish. Super youthful, a curled-up spring ready to uncoil over more time in the bottle.
BELL HILL
SINGLE PARCEL SHELF PINOT NOIR 2020
The Shelf Pinot Noir 2020 is a 6-barrel of Shelf 1998, Shelf Top 2007-2008 and Shelf West 2009 plantings. Harvested from the 26th of March to the 5th of April 2020, at 24.6 to 25.3 Brix, basket pressed after 28-29 days on skins and aged in 100% new French oak for 12 months followed by racking and blending and a further 9 months in tank before bottling on January 25th, 2022. The final wine has a pH of 3.56g/L, TA of 5.0g/L and 14% alcohol. 1596 bottles and 100 magnums were produced.
At first, a little closed with brightness shining through like rays of light on a forest floor. There is a brighter primary lift with wild forest strawberries, some herbs; spicy earthy notes draw you in. It opens on the palate with a cool blue fruit element with a high-toned lift, fine and linear, its seamless nature leads a fine-boned pathway of spice and restrained tension. The change in the glass is significant and begs decanting, on opening there is more presence of reduced black currant notes and then with time the spice, forest floor, leather as well as blue fruits are revealed, it is still so young! A lot of tension to the fruit, with a structural exterior, but a deep and meaningful core that holds sweetness and a hint of bitter chocolate. The Shelf is speaking in its own language, drawing us into a conversation that will need years to finish. It is a very deep, intriguing wine – not a Bell Hill but the Shelf from Bell Hill!