Central Otago Wine

Central Otago is the world’s southernmost winemaking region. It is mountainous, rising to over 2000m with the vines planted amongst spectacular scenery. The vineyards are also the highest in New Zealand, located between 200 and 400 metres above see level.

Central Otago is a rapidly developing wine growing region, with an international reputation for the best Pinot Noir in the world. More than 70% of grapes grown in Central Otago are Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and to a lesser extent Sauvignon Blanc and Gewruztraminer also performing well on suitable sites.

The vineyards lie in the valleys surrounded by high mountains, many of which are snowcapped all year round. The summers here are hot and dry; and the winters crisp and snowy. With the benefit of low rainfall and high sunshine hours outweighing the risk of frosts, this is the perfect region for the creation of high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.

Soil structures are very different to those of New Zealand’s other regions with heavy mineral deposits of mica and schists in silt loams with excellent drainage.

The relatively low annual rainfall reduces the need for spraying as there is a low incidence of fungal disease.

“This is God’s Country when it comes to Pinot Noir.” (James Halliday)

“Many believe this is where the Pinot grail is to be found” (Jancis Robinson)

With an international reputation for the best Pinot Noir in the world, most of the grapes grown in Central Otago are Pinot Noir. The next most dominant grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Bilancia Wine

Bilancia Syrah

Bilancia Syrah 2007

The 2007 vintage of Bilancia Syrah is a blend of approximately 15% la collina fruit and 85% from Gimblett Gravels. There is also around 3% Viognier included in the blend. All the components were hand harvested and crushed to open top fermenters for hand plunging during fermentation. The Viognier component, from the la collina vineyard, was harvested and dejuiced and the remaining skins were included in the red ferment for co-fermentation with a portion of the la collina Syrah. The pressed wine was run to French oak, around 40% new, for malolactic fermentation and the wine was aged in these barrels for 10 months.2007 was a brilliant vintage, dry and long allowing for perfect development of fruit characters and ripeness. The aroma is of ripe brambly fruits and Hawkes Bay black pepper whilst the palate shows floral, juicy characters with well integrated oak. The wine is drinking well young but will age for a few more years.

More Details

Bilancia Syrah 2006 –  SOLD OUT

The 2006 vintage of Bilancia Syrah is a blend of approximately 25% la collina fruit and 75% from Gimblett Gravels. (la collina(the hill) is our own terraced hillside vineyard on Roys Hill). There is also around 2% Viognier included in the blend. All the components were hand harvested and crushed to open top fermenters for hand plunging during fermentation. The Viognier component, from the la collina vineyard, was harvested and dejuiced and the remaining skins were included in the red ferment for co-fermentation with a portion of the la collina Syrah. The pressed wine was run to French oak, around 40% new, for malolactic fermentation and the wine was aged in these barrels for 10 months. The aroma is of ripe brambly fruits with characteristic black pepper whilst the palate shows floral, juicy characters with well integrated oak. The wine has great mouthfeel and balance. It is extremely approachable now but it is still a baby and will certainly benefit from further aging.

Bilancia La Collina Syrah

Bilancia la collina vineyard is a steep, terraced and incline planted hillside vineyard on the North/Northwest facing slopes of Roys Hill, west of Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The hillside is protected from the cooling effects of the southerly and southwesterly winds and during the growing season is bathed in sunshine. The subsoil type is sandstone/limestone which can be managed unirrigated in all but the driest of seasons. The site is frost free and due to the windy aspect has extremely low disease pressure. Bunch and berry sizes are very small and the crop levels are self regulating due to harshness of the flowering conditions. Normal crop loading is less than 1 kg per vine. This is a truly unique site that expresses itself in the aromatics and textural qualities of the resulting wine. Provencal herbs (Thyme, Rosemary and Lavender) are continually being planted on the terraces for stability and aesthetics and nuances of these appear in the aromatics and flavour of the wine.

More Details

Ki WiNZ Website

Bilancia Wine

Bilancia La Collina Syrah

Bilancia Syrah

NZ Website

Bilancia Syrah, Bilancia, Bilancia La Collina, Bilancia Syrah 2006, Bilancia Syrah 2007, La Collina

Central Otago Pinot Noir

Central Otago Pinot Noir

Central Otago is the Southern-most grape-growing region in the world located at latitude 45º south. The first wine-grapes were planted in Central Otago back in 1864 and despite the district’s potential as a wine growing area being recognised by French and Australian viticulturists from the 1860’s onwards, wine-grapes were not commercially grown again in Central Otago for more than a century.

Central Otago is well known for premium Pinot Noir and its dramatic landscapes that won’t be easily matched anywhere in the world! The first commercial release of a Pinot Noir from Central Otago was the 1987 vintage from pioneer Alan Brady at Gibbston Valley winery. The rests, as they say, is history.

‘Of all the places that pinot noir is grown and made in the New World, none has lit the sky as brightly as Central Otago in the last decade.’ Nick Stock

Autumn for Central Otago Pinot Noir

Hang time seems to really improve Pinot Noir. A microclimate that gets the fruit nearly ripe, then cools off and lets it hang for a while seems to add depth to the wine.

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Lady Parker review of Bilancia Syrah 2008

Lady Parker review of Bilancia Syrah 2008

Lady Parker

Bilancia Syrah

Bilancia Syrah

Bilancia Syrah 2007

The 2007 vintage of Bilancia Syrah is a blend of approximately 15% la collina fruit and 85% from Gimblett Gravels. There is also around 3% Viognier included in the blend. All the components were hand harvested and crushed to open top fermenters for hand plunging during fermentation. The Viognier component, from the la collina vineyard, was harvested and dejuiced and the remaining skins were included in the red ferment for co-fermentation with a portion of the la collina Syrah. The pressed wine was run to French oak, around 40% new, for malolactic fermentation and the wine was aged in these barrels for 10 months.2007 was a brilliant vintage, dry and long allowing for perfect development of fruit characters and ripeness. The aroma is of ripe brambly fruits and Hawkes Bay black pepper whilst the palate shows floral, juicy characters with well integrated oak. The wine is drinking well young but will age for a few more years.

More Details

Bilancia Syrah 2006

The 2006 vintage of Bilancia Syrah is a blend of approximately 25% la collina fruit and 75% from Gimblett Gravels. (la collina(the hill) is our own terraced hillside vineyard on Roys Hill). There is also around 2% Viognier included in the blend. All the components were hand harvested and crushed to open top fermenters for hand plunging during fermentation. The Viognier component, from the la collina vineyard, was harvested and dejuiced and the remaining skins were included in the red ferment for co-fermentation with a portion of the la collina Syrah. The pressed wine was run to French oak, around 40% new, for malolactic fermentation and the wine was aged in these barrels for 10 months. The aroma is of ripe brambly fruits with characteristic black pepper whilst the palate shows floral, juicy characters with well integrated oak. The wine has great mouthfeel and balance. It is extremely approachable now but it is still a baby and will certainly benefit from further aging.

SOLD OUT

Bilancia La Collina Syrah

Bilancia la collina vineyard is a steep, terraced and incline planted hillside vineyard on the North/Northwest facing slopes of Roys Hill, west of Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The hillside is protected from the cooling effects of the southerly and southwesterly winds and during the growing season is bathed in sunshine. The subsoil type is sandstone/limestone which can be managed unirrigated in all but the driest of seasons. The site is frost free and due to the windy aspect has extremely low disease pressure. Bunch and berry sizes are very small and the crop levels are self regulating due to harshness of the flowering conditions. Normal crop loading is less than 1 kg per vine. This is a truly unique site that expresses itself in the aromatics and textural qualities of the resulting wine. Provencal herbs (Thyme, Rosemary and Lavender) are continually being planted on the terraces for stability and aesthetics and nuances of these appear in the aromatics and flavour of the wine.

More Details

Ki WiNZ Website

Bilancia Wine

Bilancia Syrah

NZ Website

Bilancia Syrah, Bilancia, Bilancia La Collina, Bilancia Syrah 2006, Bilancia Syrah 2007, La Collina

Bilancia La Collina

Bilancia La Collina

The Bilancia La Collina vineyard is a steep, terraced and incline planted hillside vineyard on the North/Northwest facing slopes of Roys Hill, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The hillside is protected from the cooling effects of the southerly and southwesterly winds and during the growing season is bathed in sunshine.

Bilancia

Warren and Lorraine Gibson began this boutique operation in 1997, releasing the first wine in 1998. Bilancia is the Italian name for the Libra zodiac sign, which is shared by Warren and Lorraine – and it also means ‘balance’ or ‘harmony’, something they strive for in their wines.

Hawke’s Bay Region

Hawke’s Bay is the North Island’s most prolific wine region, located on its central eastern coast, it is known it red wines. The area has a similar maritime climate to Bordeaux, and is co-incidentally the source of New Zealand’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In the past decade Syrah has been showing significant promise there, particularly in the region’sGimblett Gravels district.

Try the wines here

“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 great Shiraz producers of the world.”

TASTE FOOD & WINE 2008

Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer

Bilancia La Collina Syrah 2008 $104.50 Per Bottle

Bilancia La Collina Syrah 2006 $143.00 Per Bottle

Bilancia La Collina Syrah 2005 $165.00 Per Bottle

Bilancia La Collina Syrah 2004 $165 Per Bottle

Bilancia La Collina Syrah 2002 $198 Per Bottle

Bilancia La Collina Sydney

Bilancia La Collina Melbourne

Bilancia La Collina Brisbane

Bilancia La Collina Perth

Bilancia La Collina Adelaide

Bilancia La Collina Australia

Bilancia La Collina New Zealand

Ki WiNZ Website

Bilancia New Zealand Website