2016 Bell Hill Pinot Noir Old Weka Pass Road

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 92.5 points

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  9/3/2023 - wineian Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Pale garnet colour. nose of cherry, strawberry, barnyard/forest floor, spice, a little smokey
  Great length in flavour with cherry/red fruits, mushroom, spice, wonderful acidity. The colour belies the flavour. wonderful second wine for this label

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  10/2/2019 - Callum's Corkers Likes this wine: 93 Points

  brief notes, tasted at Armit tasting, London.
  
  C...light body
  
  N....huge nose, very ''busy.'' Charming barnyard/pongy, most unlike the usual NZ Pinot.
  
  T....lovely wine. One of very best NZ Pinots I've tasted. Very ''French'' in style, light body but a lot of power here, warm spices, wood, forest floor, long flavours, very elegant. Brooding. Cellaring would be rewarded.
  
  VFM?.....It's on-trade (restaurant) only, no retail in UK. Apparently on wine lists for approx £190, you'd have to be spending other peoples' money for that to be VFM. I'd be happy to pay £100
  
  NB: this is the ''cheaper'' Pinot label Bell Hill do, but I liked it much more than their straight Bell Hill label (bottle was 2015, which I marked at 90).

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  3/25/2019 - LindsayM Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Popped and poured 66% new French oak from new vines 2008 and 2009. Whole bunch % ??
  Based on the vineyard info 6773 vines produced 1897 bottles or around fruit from 3 vines per bottle fairly low cropping !
  
  Colour pale garnet - ruby , translucent , purple hues , clear edges 15/15
  Nose intensity + primary red fruits strawberry, cherries , spice , dried herbs , charcuterie aromas , smoky , great complexity , don’t get any vanilla from 66% new oak , fruit must have soaked it up . Nose intensity increases with aeration 28/30
  Palate Med to full bodied powerful backbone of fine tannins and acidity run though this wine very long finish 20+ seconds. Flavours follow on from the nose - Red fruits strawberry cherries balanced by the tannins and acidity - sensational 42/44
  Overall Sacrificed one bottle of the new arrivals in the name of research . This is a super second label of Bell Hill , can’t wait to taste the main wine 11/11

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  10/25/2018 - Jon and Bek Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Taste North Canterbury 2018 (Christchurch, New Zealand): Vibrant red colour, and a blend of resinous cedar and cherry in the aroma. Lovely dark cherry and cranberry layers with strong savoury palate and fine tannins. Good Pinot Noir from Canterbury.

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