Wine Advocate (93+)

Medium to deep ruby colored, the 2011 Bell Hill Pinot Noir offers a black fruit nose with notes of black cherries, mulberries and blackberries plus nuances of cloves, cinnamon and anise. Medium bodied, the palate is densely packed with black berry and baking spice flavors and highly structured with a refreshing acid backbone and firm, grainy tannins, finishing long with a pleasant herbal lift.

Exemplifying artistry in winemaking, Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2017 is a scintillating masterpiece of the vine. Having its roots in the limestone-rich soils of North Canterbury, New Zealand, this remarkable vintage embodies the diligent care and precision Bell Hill Vineyard imperatively demands. The grapes are rigorously selected from two unique blocks, meticulously hand-harvested and crafted using a burgundian approach. Resulting in a wine that defines depth, complexity and longevity.

The 2017 vintage presents an expressive bouquet of ripe berries and delicate floral undertones ennobled by a subtle earthiness and whispers of oriental spices. Its velvet tannins and structured body unfurl in the palate to reveal layers of dark cherry, cocoa and truffle, underpinned by its refreshing, lingering finish. Truly, Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2017 affirms itself as an indulgent indulgence capturing the essence of its origin, drawn by purity, elegance and an unwavering testimony to the grandeur of Bell Hill Vineyard.

The Real Wine Review (96)

Relatively light in colour but with impressive purity and power with floral, violet, red rose, red cherry and a chalk-mineral character. Graceful wine with an ethereal texture and very lengthy finish. A seriously good pinot noir with a promising future.

Vinous (93)

(from vines reportedly between 85 and 115 years of age) Inky ruby. Spicy blackberry, cherry and dark chocolate on the nose, with complicating notes of espresso and dried violet. Cool and restrained, with a suave, silky tone to the dark fruit flavors and gentle acids bringing freshness and energy. Nothing overdone here. There's impressive clarity and length to the blackberry and blackcurrant flavors. Really gorgeous.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

From the estate's highest vineyard block situated on the eastern ridge of the Barossa foothills, and is a quite lovely example of shiraz grown in a temperate climate. It's medium-bodied, the bouquet full of spice, red fruits, rose petals and cherry blossom characters all translating straight to the long, supple palate. Tannins and oak are part of the backdrop, simply providing the finish of the wine.

James Suckling (98)

Cloaked in freshly ground black pepper, plenty of meaty charcuterie complexity and loads of spice. Orange rind and graphite. Some musky lift. Blackberries and plums. Concentrated dark-plum and black-cherry flavours, with blackberry, dark chocolate and mocha. Best from 2019.

Jancis Robinson (18)

If the Holdaway Sauvignon was all about the fruit, with a little bit of winemaking, this is more about the winemaking but could not be built like this without that same fruit quality and intensity – as it opens there’s blackcurrant leaf and an almost hidden note of tropical fruit and richness. Marked struck-match, smoky, cordite first impression, but not excessive unless you don’t like this style. This is bold, fresh, with the start of some cedary development of bottle age. On the palate, the texture is rounded and deep, filling the mouth but still incredibly fresh. Long, mouth-watering, salty finish, and a promise of more bottle-aged complexity to come. Delicious now but no rush. Classy, complex, distinctive. For lovers of Sauvignon in the style of Dogpoint Section 94.

Vinous (96)

White Bordeaux fans, get your coat; you've scored. The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Abstract is a gorgeous, rich, full-bodied mouthful of intensely concentrated barrel-fermented Sauvignon. This is curvy, suave and sophisticated. Its ripe blackcurrant and fennel aromas meet lees-derived savory notes and nutty oak characters (aged in puncheons, 15% new). The 2021 has substance as well as fine acidity that provides mouthwatering refreshment. Its long finish is laced with layers of fragrance and texture. This has the componentry to age well, but it's delicious now, so why would you wait?

Vinous (96)

The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Abstract Three Rows is a pure and sophisticated wine from, true to its name, three rows of a dry farmed parcel. It is bright and tangy yet savory. The fruit is pure and delicate, like a cloud. It is transparent and yet expansive in the mouth, having no heaviness. Light honey, nectarine, musky boxwood and oatmeal flavors abound with a light creamy character. Sensitive Sauvignon.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Seductive and well-judged ‘reductive’ (smoky, struck-match) aroma and really toasty as it opens up, something cedary. Very Coche Dury but, most importantly, there is the fruit intensity to carry off this winemaking style. Nutty, creamy, mealy citrus. So many things going on that it makes you slow down to try to enjoy all this complexity. Deep, deliciously fresh and incredibly persistent with an aftertaste of savoury/mineral citrus. Worth every penny of its NZ price of $45 (from the producer's website). Classy and got better and better over the few days post opening.

Vinous (97)

The 2021 Chardonnay Reed Vineyard is pure, harmonious and suave, caressing the mouth with its gentle texture and purity. It's not showy but a wine worth getting to know: it provides cognitive and sensory pleasure. You can expect almond, oatmeal, smoky nuts and party popper aromas. Yes, party poppers. I really love the smell of party poppers, so I want to keep smelling this and having a little party shimmy. Pure and textural with a gourmand character that will make you want to lick your cheeks to keep tasting it. Already good; this is going to be great.

The Real Review (95)

Weighty, mouth-filling chardonnay with grapefruit, saline/oyster shell, lime zest, nutty yeast lees and a suggestion of sizzled butter. Great without the complication of food but even better with my hot-smoked salmon.

Cameron Douglas MS (96)

'Outstanding'. A powerful and distinctive bouquet with a core complexity built around ripe red berry fruit, a natural savoury dried herb complexity, a gentle sweetness of oak and baking spice scents to match, there’s density and richness alongside power and finesse. A powerful youthful energy as the wine touches the palate transitioning smoothly through berry flavours, the savoury seam and textures from tannins and acidity. Delicious, youthful and full of pinosity. A lovely expression, complex and lengthy. Best drinking from 2022 through 2030+.

Halliday Wine Companion (99)

One of Australia's icons. The decision not to use any new French oak, and to limit the alcohol to 13.5%, has resulted in a wine with a unique sense of place. It is also superbly balanced, dark fruits married to superfine tannins - another feature of a classic Hunter shiraz.

Halliday Wine Companion (99)

Pale straw-green - an extraordinary colour of an extraordinary wine. A fragrant bouquet floats out of the glass and introduces a palate that has the best of all worlds: lemon, lemon curd, beeswax and fruit spice with no hint of the searing acidity Hunter Valley semillon can throw at the unwary. Here it is perfectly (and naturally) balanced. A worthy companion to the sublime Graveyard Shiraz '18.

Celebrating the essence of fine viticulture, the Brown Brothers Shiraz 2019 offers a symphony of palatable perfection. Crafted by esteemed Australian winemakers, Brown Brothers, this Shiraz is a testament to their 130-year legacy of wine innovation. Hailing from the sun-kissed vineyards of Victoria, the Shiraz grapes are meticulously hand-selected to produce a wine of unparalleled quality.

The Brown Brothers Shiraz 2019 delivers an exquisite complexity of aromas, imbued with rich notes of blackberry and subtle spicy undertones. Its velvety texture, balanced with brilliant acidity, ensures an elegantly rounded mouthfeel. Ageing in both American and French oak barrels renders the wine’s superb tannin structure, manifesting a gorgeous depth of flavour.

An embodiment of Brown Brothers' commitment to excellence, the Brown Brothers Shiraz 2019 promises a sensory sojourn that transcends the ordinary, resonating with seasoned wine connoisseurs worldwide.

Bob Campbell MW (97)

I never swallow samples during tasting but got pretty close with this wine. It’s just so damn delicious with layer upon layer of fruit and savoury characters that defy description. A tease of fruit sweetness is balanced by gentle tannins and subtle acidity that drive a very lengthy finish. A seriously good Pinot Noir.

Bob Campbell MW (97)

I never swallow samples during tasting but got pretty close with this wine. It’s just so damn delicious with layer upon layer of fruit and savoury characters that defy description. A tease of fruit sweetness is balanced by gentle tannins and subtle acidity that drive a very lengthy finish. A seriously good Pinot Noir.

The Real Review (96)

Intense, vibrant pinot noir showing real depth and complexity with nuanced floral, dark cherry and raspberry flavours together with thyme, anise, spice and a suggestion of white pepper. A backbone of fruity acidity reveals energy and helps to promote a lingering finish. A serious wine from one of Central Otago's top producers.

Vinous (97)

The 2020 Pinot Noir Burn Cottage Vineyard is not a wine that I want to deconstruct into its components as it exemplifies balance, harmony and completeness, and I want to drink a lot of it. It is a wine that is the sum of its parts rather than its individual elements. It is young and can be approached now, but deserves bottle aging. It is full-bodied and suave but being from Central Otago - at the bottom of the earth next stop penguins - it has a sense of coolness and freshness, enlivening its entirety and retaining a sense of melodic direction among the mellow bass sections. There's a very small percentage of whole clusters (7%) that combine with the natural garrigue notes of Central Otago Pinot to provide herbal lift alongside pure cherry fruit and carefully judged oak.

The Real Review (97)

Medium red colour with a trace of purple in the rim. The bouquet is pepper-spicy, stemmy and savoury, with a whiff of new kid leather, while the palate is elegantly structured and yet firm, tremendously intense, taut as a bow-string, and magnificently balanced. This is a stunning pinot of a complex, bunchy style, already drinking well, with more held in reserve. 17 JUN 2020

Vinous (95)

Shimmering ruby-red. Intensely perfumed red fruit preserve, potpourri, exotic spice and vanilla aromas show outstanding clarity and minerally lift. Conveys an impressive blend of depth and energy on the palate, offering sweet Chambord, cherry cola and spicecake flavors and a touch of botanical herbs. The wonderfully long, focused finish features reverberating red fruit and floral notes and polished, finely interwoven tannins.