JancisRobinson.com

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  2/11/2023 (link)

  (Bilancia, La Collina Syrah Hawke's Bay Red) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  11/27/2009 (link)

  (Bilancia, La Collina Syrah Hawke's Bay Red) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  3/19/2009 (link)

  (Bilancia, La Collina Syrah/Viognier Hawke's Bay Red) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

• By Stephen Tanzer
  September 2008 (link)

  (Bilancia La Collina Syrah Hawke's Bay) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/11/2008 (link)

  (La Collina Syrah BILANCIA) La Collina Dear Friends, This wine will leave many pretenders in the dust and it has the chance to re-orient your sense of what can be produced below the Equator. It is a wine that must be tasted to appreciate and you can throw out any comparisons to Shiraz, this is Syrah. If New Zealand has a "cult" wine, this is it. Doled out bottle by bottle, Bilancia's La Collina Syrah has become something of a phenomena but it is not made in the style of the California wines that spawned the term. Its heart is planted in Cote Blonde and blind tastings suggest its soul may be there as well. From one of the most beautiful, terraced vineyards in the Southern Hemisphere, the La Collina has earned a following in collector circles around the globe - it is one of the most allocated wines in Australia or New Zealand. From a very steep parcel of vines (see the photo on the web link below) La Collina is a shower of pepper-sifted feminine grace - it is complex, full of intrigue and a sophisticated sense of itself absent from many wines in the Southern Hemisphere. At Bilancia, they set out to produce Syrah that is unmatched, even by Cote Rotie itself, and their success to this point has New Zealand's wine industry brimming with pride: Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer on last year's 2005 (they haven't tasted the 2006 yet): "La Collina is the greatest Syrah to ever come out of New Zealand, and it single-handedly positions this country, for the first time, among the greatest Syrah producers of the world. 2005 is the best vintage to date and it takes the definition of spice and pepper to new heights. We sat on the hill in the middle of the vineyard when we tasted La Collina for the first time, and we are pleased to report that it tastes even better with Wagyu steaks at Gianni Restaurant in Brisbane." The 2006 La Collina is even more structured than the 2005 (which had even more fruit than the 2004). It wins the taster over with fascinating perfume and a mysterious layered, velveteen quality like a jaguar stretching to observe its prey - stealthily in wait until it's too late. Give this wine 4-6 hours of air and the door is unlocked with classic smoked bacon, white/black pepper, violet and light ash flittering in the sunlight like confetti falling to the thyme covered forest floor. Tannic, Deep and strong-willed, the La Collina would be an excellent choice for those of you interested in exploring the finest unknown Syrah in the world but your leaning must be toward Ampuis and not Oakville. With Guigal's La-La's as the guide, the 2006 uses a similar cooperage treatment to the La Landonne (versus the La Mouline in the past) and the result is sure to make a statement - a wine very difficult to pull off as the layers of fruit retain their delicacy despite their sheer size (there are top single vineyard Hermitage in 2006 that do not have this much material). The winery recommends another 4-6 years of ageing before pulling the first cork but I would suggest at least 6-12 months to allow the recent bottling to integrate - could really surprise in a blind tasting of the best 2006 Northern RhÖnes a decade from now: For more information, please see: http://www.bilancia.co.nz/lacollina.html ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance This is the most limited wine we deal with from the Southern Hemisphere - 25 cases for the entire US and none are supposed to be for retail: 2006 Bilancia Syrah "La Collina" Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA NZ8970

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  5/13/2008 (link) 92 points

  (Bilancia Syrah la Collina) Red violet color; tart black fruit, toasted plum, charcoal and sense of roasted meat on nose; solid, focused, tart and tangy black fruit with smoke, liquid pepper and herbal sage quality toward medium finish 92+ pts. (could put on even more complexity, more like a Crozes-Hermitage than an Aussie Shiraz)