Reviews

Browse our reviews below.

 

 

Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuisen’s Cult Winery. The wines excellence led us to give 100 points to a wine for the first time – Importer Wine Diamonds.



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Pinot Noir Shelf 2018

A nose of violets, roses and lush raspberries with flint smokiness and chalky minerality. Perfect proportion of finesse and elegance and super silky on the tongue and over palate, deep and profound. The long after flavour is captivating. 100 Points



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Chardonnay 2009

The wine is yellow gold in colour. A nose of Meyer lemon, flint, and acacia honey. Concentrated. Linear acidity creates tension. Long deep finish. It still retains its youthfulness, still young. (After whole cluster pressing the wine was fermented in 25% new oak barrels, Spontaneous fermentation, MLF, no batonage). 99 Points



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Chardonnay 2013

Slight green tinged colour. Meyer lemon, acacia flower, honey notes. Very aromatic on the nose with pure acidity and fruitiness in perfect harmony. (The wine is a blend of 5 barrels, 20% new oak then aged for 12 months in barrel then 8 months in tank). 97 Points



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Chardonnay 2019

Yellow with a youthful greenish tint. The nose is slightly closed but has a hint of acacia honey and citrus. The concentration of fruit is high and the minerality in the aftertaste is intense. This is a chardonnay that should be laid down for 10 to 20 years. 98 Points



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Pinot Noir 2009

Brilliant ruby with a slight maroon rim. It has a floral nose of violets and roses with red fruits. A touch earthy. The flavour is very complex with a touch of iodine and pure acidity that harmonises with the complex fruit. Silky texture. 98 Points



Wine Diamonds Wineart Autumn 2023 Issue

Pinot Noir 2019

The colour is slightly dark ruby. Raspberry, black currant and other red and black fruits such as raspberry and cassis are fused together, slightly bloody sensation. The wine is fruity and full bodied as id topped with mineral essence. The tannins are very fine, and the texture is super silky. Minerality lingers on the aftertaste. 98 Points



JAMESSUCKLING.COM
NOVEMBER 2023

Bell Hill Pinot Noir Canterbury Old Weka Pass Road 2020

Aromas of red plums, potpourri and dried herbs, followed by mushrooms and a hint of new leather. Medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and velvety tannins. Underlying savory complexity with a layered finish. Drink or hold. Screw up. 93 points.



JAMESSUCKLING.COM
NOVEMBER 2023

Bell Hill Chardonnay Canterbury 2020

Dried apple and honey with some straw and lemon curd character. Flint and matchstick. Medium body with phenolics and apple skin texture. Dried apples and peaches at the finish. Salted butter. Some nutty undertones. Yogurt, too. Tangy and rich at the same time. Rich yet energetically driven. Very youthful and exciting. Complex. Better with three or four years of bottle age. Drink or hold. 97 points.



JAMESSUCKLING.COM
NOVEMBER 2023

Bell Hill Pinot Noir Canterbury Shelf Single Parcel 2018

This is a new release of a single parcel pinot and shows so much complexity with ripe strawberry, orange peel, rose petal, and pomegranate aromas and flavors. Plenty of wood. Lots of brightness and energy here with a long and vivid finish. Tangy and lively at the end. So much intensity and complexity here. Like outstanding Burgundy from a ripe year in the 1980s. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 96 points



JAMESSUCKLING.COM
NOVEMBER 2023

Bell Hill Pinot Noir Canterbury 2019

Really beautiful and silky with perfectly ripe strawberries, chocolate, hazelnut and light toffee in both the nose and on the palate. Full-bodied yet tensioned and focused. Very fine tannins. It goes on for minutes. Love. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 98 points



Viva- 2023 Top 10 Wineries- Jo Burzynska

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2019
An exceptional and intense chardonnay propelled by its site’s chalky acidity and saline minerality, in which essence of grapefruit and mandarin are scented with orange blossom, over a subtle savoury and toasted oatmeal undercurrent.



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2016 North Canterbury
Warm growing season and normal crop. Bit of rain in March but generally a decent season. Blend of Shelf, Roadblock and Limeworks blocks. 12 months in French oak (20% new) followed by 7 months in tank.
Very burgundian ‘mealiness’ on the nose. More obvious evolution than the slightly fossilised 2010. Lots of pure green fruit and real edginess and tension. More backward than most 2016 white burgundies! Smoky, long finish. Massive acidity. Still youthful!
 13%
Drink
2021 – 2030
17



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill, Limeworks Chardonnay 2016 North Canterbury
Planted (one-third) 2009 and 1999. Their first single-parcel release of just 639 bottles.
Very similar to the regular bottling; just a little bit more intense on the nose. And more edginess, but also breadth. A little more approachable than the regular bottling because of the more intense, richer fruit.
 13%
Drink
2020 – 2032
17.5



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2010 North Canterbury
Very cool start to the season and then Indian summer with very low yields – only one and a half barrels. Poor fruit set. So initially quite introvert. Blend of Shelf and Limeworks blocks. Aged for 12 months in used barrel.
Great freshness and precision with some green streaks and real pure fruit underneath. Initially quite dry but it really opened out in the glass.
 13.7%
Drink
2015 – 2025
17



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2019 North Canterbury
Not yet released; will be released later in 2023. Small crop because of a cool spring.
A hint of struck match on the nose. Racy with a lovely undertow of very fine fruit. Steely backbone.
Drink
2023 – 2035
17.5



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2004 North Canterbury
A blend of the Shelf, Limeworks and Quarry Rootlings blocks (all Dijon and Pommard clones). Made from seven-year-old vines.
Lively ruby-garnet. Sumptuous nose! Lots of evolution. Some mushroom notes and masses of fruit. Intensely heady with layers. Very light char note and some sweet liquorice. Really interesting with great grip on the palate. Appetisingly dry finish. But so interesting! So long. Grand-cru quality.
Drink
2010– 2030
18



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2015 North Canterbury
Barrel selection from the entire vineyard. 100% destemmed. 100% new French oak for 12 months then racked into tank for 6 months before bottling. 2,616 bottles made.
Pale ruby-garnet. Less intense nose than the 2004. Savoury nose, then sweet palate entry. Gentle and more Côte de Beaune-like. A little muted and mushroomy but very satisfying and well balanced. Clean and fresh and appetising. Floral note on the end.
 13.5%
Drink
2020 – 2035
17.5



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill, Shelf Pinot Noir 2018 North Canterbury
Single-parcel bottling, not yet released. Fewer than 300 bottles made!
Very pale ruby shading to a water-white rim. Meaty, intense nose with strong mineral elements. Racy, almost spritzy. Light tannins after delicate sweet fruit. Energetic.
Drink
2023– 2040
17.5 +



JANCIS ROBINSON

Bell Hill, Shelf Pinot Noir 2019 North Canterbury
To be released later in 2023.
Still very young. Transparent crimson. Concentrated nose with violets and fruit. Light and lively and youthful and unevolved.
Drink
2026 – 2042
17 ++