Bell Hill

Bell Hill is a small, family-owned winery located in the Weka Pass of North Canterbury, New Zealand. It is a highly respected cult winery, renowned for producing some of the country's most compelling and age-worthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The winery is a testament to the pursuit of quality over quantity, with a meticulous, hands-on, and low-intervention approach to both viticulture and winemaking.

History

The Bell Hill story began in 1997 when Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen, inspired by the Grand Crus of Burgundy, set out to find a unique site in New Zealand with limestone-based soils. They found their perfect location in an old, abandoned lime quarry in the Weka Pass, a region previously unplanted with grapes. The hill's distinctive "bell" shape on its southern side gave the vineyard its name.

Over the next decade, they meticulously planted their small two-hectare vineyard with high-density Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones, modeling their approach on the Burgundian tradition. From the beginning, they were committed to organic farming, which they transitioned to biodynamic practices in 2007. The vineyard received BioGro organic certification in 2015 and is now fully certified.

Bell Hill is a long-term project driven by the desire to achieve the absolute in wine definition from this specific site. They view themselves not as winemakers, but as "winegrowers," with the belief that their role is to translate the unique character of the land into the bottle.

Biography

  • Marcel Giesen and Sherwyn Veldhuizen (Owners and Winegrowers): The founders and heart of Bell Hill. Marcel, with a background in viticulture and oenology from Germany and extensive experience around the world, and Sherwyn, who studied viticulture and oenology at Lincoln University, are a hands-on team. They are known for their unwavering commitment to a Burgundian-inspired, high-density, and biodynamic farming philosophy.

Technical Details

Bell Hill’s technical approach is one of obsessive attention to detail, precision, and respect for the land, with every decision made to express the vineyard's unique terroir.

Viticulture

  • Certified Biodynamic and Organic: The vineyards are certified organic by BioGro and farmed biodynamically, a holistic approach that seeks to improve soil and vine health naturally.

  • Unique Terroir: The winery's defining feature is its pure, marine-based limestone and clay-limestone soils, a rare geological makeup in New Zealand. This chalk-rich soil imparts a distinct minerality, tension, and structure to the wines.

  • High-Density Planting: Bell Hill is known for its extremely high planting density, with up to 18,181 vines per hectare in some blocks. This method, a direct influence from Burgundy, reduces yields per vine and forces the roots to penetrate deep into the limestone soils, resulting in more concentrated and complex fruit.

  • Dry Farming: The vineyards are dry-farmed, encouraging the vines to develop a deep and strong root system.

Winemaking

  • Low-Intervention Philosophy: The winemaking is firmly non-interventionist, with Marcel and Sherwyn believing that "if we have to make wine in the winery, something went wrong in the vineyard."

  • Wild Yeast Fermentation: All fermentation is carried out using indigenous yeasts from the vineyard, ensuring that the wines are a genuine expression of their place.

  • Barrel Aging: The wines are aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. While new oak is used, it is managed to support the wine without dominating its character.

  • No Fining or Filtration: The wines are bottled without fining or filtration, preserving their natural integrity, texture, and flavor.

  • Extended Bottle Aging: The wines are often released several years after the vintage, allowing them to benefit from extended bottle aging and ensuring they are ready to drink when they are purchased.