News and Reviews

2011 RELEASES

The latest release of The Pruner's Reward Sauvignon Blanc has been reviewed and enjoyed by Sam Kim, Wine Orbit. ‘★★★★ A lively and vibrant Sauvignon displaying lime, green apple and passionfruit characters with a hint of currant notes on the nose. The palate is zesty and bright with lovely fruit intensity and a lingering crisp finish. A finely textured and elegantly expressed Sauvignon with appealing juicy flavours.' www.wineorbit.co.nz

Winestate, ★★★★ 'Fresh, lifted aromas. Medium-bodied, with good intensity of tropical fruit and green capsicum-like flavours, enlivened by tangy acidity.' November/December 2011 issue.

Raymond Chan, ★★★ Fruit mainly from the ‘Home Block' supplemented with a contract grower's fruit, tank-fermented to 13.5% alc. and 4.1 g/L rs. Very pale straw-yellow colour with a pale edge, this has a softly fresh nose with a lifted amalgam of pungent passionfruit and gooseberry aromas that are lightly nuanced with a confectionary note. Dry to taste, this has up-front, moderately deep, clearly varietal passionfruit and gooseberry flavours alongside balanced, crisp and racy acidity. The finish is sustained and shows sweetness of fruit. Drink this brisk wine with seafood, salads and vegetables over the next 2 years. ... 16.0+/20 Sep 2011' www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz

2010 RELEASES

Our 2010 white wines are now available to buy on-line or through a range of fine wine retailers. A tighter leaner year that 2009, here are some responses.

Sam Kim of Wine Orbit rated Block Eight Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - 5 stars He says "... intense and complex ... The nose is flinty and savoury with lime zest and herbaceous notes ... concentrated and explosive on the palate showing silky texture, then the racy acidity kicks in to provide a lingering crisp finish ...” www.wineorbit.co.nz

Jo Burzynska - Bellbird Spring Home Block Waipara Pinot Gris 2010 by “Bellbird Spring's impressive Home Block pinot gris is richly textured with honeyed notes, hints of spice and fresh minerally undercurrent.” NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/jo-burzynska/news/article.cfm?a_id=656&objectid=10711360

Bob Campbell MW - Bellbird Spring Home Block Pinot Gris 2010 4 stars 91/100 Stylish Pinot Gris in a dry and moderately complex style with pronounced mineral characters together with subtle grapefruit/citrus! Naschi pear and bread crust flavours. Crisp acidity helps drive a lengthy finish. A taut and elegant wine with good cellaring potential. BobsWineReviews.com

Sam Kim - Home Block Pinot Gris 2010 5 stars. A youthful Pinot Gris displaying gentle aromas of stonefruit, citrus and pear with a hint of savoury notes. The palate is rich and expansive with a lovely succulent mouthfeel which is perfectly balanced by the firm acidity leading to an impressively long finish. The wine shows excellent fruit intensity as well as rich texture and body, and it should develop beautifully. Grapes were hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and fermented in old oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. At its best: now to 2015. 13.5% Natural cork.

Bob Campbell MW - Bellbird Spring Block Eight Waipara NZ Sauvignon Blanc 2010. "4 stars 89/100 Sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc that's miles away from the usual fruit bomb styles that have become the benchmark for the variety in this country. Barrel fermentation has restrained mineral, capsicum and lemon grass characters and added an extra, subtle toasty dimension. Quite Sancerre-like wine that's impressively linear and long. Excellent food wine." BobsWineReviews.com

2009 RELEASES

Our 2009 wines have had great responses. Here is what wine writer Michael Cooper had to say: 'I like the extra complexity that the wood handling is contributing to your Home Block White and Block Eight Sauvignon Blanc. The first wine is deliciously mouthfilling and soft, while the second shows good intensity.'

Jancis Robinson on the Bellbird Spring Pinot Noir 2009 "Rich nose – very ambitious! This is wanting to go straight to grand cru! Round and mellow without being sweet. … Great complexity and balance. Long too. Suitably dry, pulsating finish. Score 17." See the full note at http://www.jancisrobinson.com

Bellbird Spring Home Block White 2009 was reviwed by Yvonne lorkin in Dish magazine (June-July 2010). She writes, "Georgeous lifted florals mix with honeyed stonefruit characters to leave a rich, softly spicy, oily and textural mouthfeel".

Winestate magazine rated Bellbird Spring Home Block White 2009 ★★★★. "Highly perfumed Waipara blend of pinot gris, riesling, gewürztraminer and muscat, barrel-fermented. Full of personality, with rich, gently sweet, peachy, citrusy, spicy flavours, showing excellent concentration, complexity and charm." To appear in the November/December 2010 issue.

Bob Campbell said of this wine " 4 stars 86/100 A blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat that's been whole-bunch-pressed and fermented in old barriques. Aromatic wine with rose petal and lifted spice characters. A suggestion of sweetness helps promote a lingering finish. Appealing wine with lovely fruit purity." www.bobswinereviews.com Order online

Wine writer Sam Kim gave Bellbird Spring Home Block White 2009 94 points and ★★★★★. "Grapes (Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat) were grown on their estate vineyard on the Glasnevin gravels, and hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in old oak barrels then matured on lees. The nose is beautifully lifted and sweet-scented displaying stonefruit, pineapple and floral characters. It's concentrated and richly flavoured on the palate showing excellent mid palate weight, velvety texture, subtle sweetness and modest acidity. The wine is full and opulent yet beautifully balanced and refreshing. A real charmer. This should develop gracefully. At its best: now to 2014. ..... 12.5% Natural cork. .... Jan 2010."

The Pruner's Reward Sauvignon Blanc 2009 - 'Nectarine aromas; warm peach kernel and tangerine flavours. Beautifully weighted with creamy, sexy texture, sweet high notes plus great depth and a fascinating hint of bitterness on the finish. Lots happening. Terrific length ★★★★★'. John Saker wine writer and author. Order online

Wine writer Yvonne Lorkin rated Bellbird Spring Block Eight Pinot Gris 2009 ★★★★★. She writes 'If you’d asked me a couple of years ago whether I’d part with thirty bucks for a bottle of pinot gris I’d have questioned your sanity. But those were the bad old days before the likes of Bellbird Spring and their addictively good gris. Subtle pear, jazz apple, lychee and soft spices on the nose but in the mouth it bursts with opulent, oily tropical juiciness. Big,sweet, sensational bang for your buck. http://supersipping.blogspot.com/ Order online

Wine writer Sam Kim gave Bellbird Spring Block Eight Sauvignon Blanc 2009 94points and ★★★★★. “This is not Sauvignon as most people know it. Grapes were grown on their clay stony block at the base of Mt. Donald. Hand-picked, whole-bunchpressed and fermented in old oak barrels than matured on lees. The nose is delicate and restrained displaying lime zest, white flower and chalky mineral characters. It's superblyconcentrated and focused on the palate showing vibrant fruit, fine texture and crisp acidity leading to an exceptionally long finish. The wine is tightly structured and elegantly poised. The mouthfeel is reminiscent of a high quality Sancerre, yet with New Zealand juicy fruit. I suspect this will age gracefully and show glorious complexity with further time in the bottle. At its best: now to 2015. … 13.5% Natural cork. ... Feb 2010.“www.wineorbit.co.nz Order online

The Pruners's Reward Pinot Noir 2009. Sam Kim wrote ‘A gently expressed and appealing Pinot displaying red/black cherry, game and spice characters on the nose. The palate is smooth and rounded with good fruit weight and fine-grained tannins. The wine shows an immediate appeal from the fruit intensity together with subtle savoury complexity. At its best: now to 2014. 13.5% Screw cap. Oct 2011.87/100 ****' Full review at

Raymond Chan wrote ‘Bright garnet-red colour with moderate depth and a light, brick edge. This has a light, elegant. lifted nose of red cherry fruit and dried herbs along with oak spice elements, and secondary nuances. Medium-bodied, the flavours of light red cherry fruit infused with oak spice and cedar are enlivened by fresh, racy acidity. Soft, drying tannins provide a firmness through the mid-palate, leading to a crisp, savoury, dried herb finish carried by the acid. ... ' Full review at www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz

Try one of our 2009 wines and tell us what you think of them. For responses from our customers to our wines we suggest going to www.cellartracker.com/intro.asp

Our stockists are listed below.

2008 RELEASE

We also recieved some great reviews from wine writers for Bellbird Spring Home Block White 2008. Here are some .....

MICHAEL COOPER, Michael Cooper's Wine Buyer's Guide to New Nealand Wines 2010 ★★★★
'Showing greater complexity than most youg aromatic whites, the 2008 vintage is a single-vineyard Waipara blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Gewurztraminer, fermented in old oak barriques. Instantly attractive, it's a weighty medium style (20 g/L of residual sugar), rich, spicy and oily with gentle acidity and excellent flavour depth and harmony.'

JO BURZYNSKA, NZ HERALD - SATURDAY JAN 24, 2009.
Listed as one of three top picks for 2008. "After a sipping through a sea of sauvignon, it's great to come across something quite different, such as this single vineyard blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Gewürztraminer from new Waipara winery, Bellbird Spring. Making just the one wine, this promising first release has fresh and mouth-filling peach and pear fruit, nuances of blossom, gingery spice and citrus peel."

CUISINE MAGAZINE - NZ EMERGING WHITES (ISSUE 134 MAY 2009)
"A blend with Pinot Gris in the starring role and bit parts filled by Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Sweetish in style, this wine's stonefruit and pear flavours mingle with oak influences." Rated 4 stars.

PETER SAUNDERS, WINE WRITER
"Clean, fresh blend; four different grapes, each of which have their impact and will shuffle their dominance as the wine matures. Very good afternoon or after-work sipping with nibbles."

BOB CAMPBELL MW - BOBSWINEREVIEWS.COM
This review was taken from www.bobswinereviews.com
"A moderately sweet blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat and Gewürztraminer. Pleasant wine with tree fruit and subtle floral flavours. Soft-textured, fresh and pretty white."

EXTENSIVE WINE REVIEW - BY SENIOR WINE JUDGE, SAM KIM
WWW.WINEORBIT.CO.NZ
A single vineyard wine made predominantly from Pinot Gris with Riesling, Muscat and Gewürztraminer making up the blend. Grapes were hand harvested, whole bunch pressed and fermented in old oak barriques using indigenous yeasts. A charming and elegant wine showing stonefruit, floral and lemon zest characters on the nose with a hint of chalky influence. The palate displays rounded mouthfeel, attractive sweetness (19.9 g/l) and nicely balanced acidity leading to an appealing finish. A very attractive wine with a well proportioned palate. At its best: now to 2011. 360 cases made. 13% Natural cork. 4/5 stars 87

If you have tasted our wines and have comments, send them to us at info@bellbirdspring.co.nz

Did you know? A Maori word for bellbird is korimako, "Anthornis melanura - an olive-green songbird with a short curved bill and dark bluish-black wings known for its loud, clear, liquid songs. Female has a lighter colour and a white stripe below the eye." http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/index.cfm

Food and wine matches

The Home Block White 2009 is available by the glass at Ponsonby Road Bistro. Melissa Morrow writes "The market fish was so stunning with the Bellbird White It is - Pan-roast Hapuka on Indian spiced potatoes with a fresh coconut, coriander and yoghurt dressing, deep-fried fresh curry leaves. Yum! The wine is being very well received!"

Releases

We have released four new wines recently. They are listed here with tasting notes by wine writer Peter Saunders. Two new wines include a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris fom our vineyard - Block Eight. We will release our Pinot Noir early in 2010. Reviews are listed below.

Bellbird Spring - Block Eight Sauvignon Blanc 2009 NEW RELEASE

'Wood-affected style, some nice sauvignon tones in behind and showing on the nose. This is the alternative sauvignon statement, works best with food and will keep developing through summer to show best mid-2010 onwards. Under natural cork, not Diam or screw-cap. A wine in no hurry.'

Bellbird Spring - Home Block White 2009

‘Our terroir statement’ proclaims owner-winemaker Guy Porter as he blends such unlikely varieties as pinot gris, riesling, gewurztraminer and muscat. A local statement he feels. It works very well, off-dry and well-balanced and whilst each variety may take its turn in being dominant over the next couple of years, it’s a cheerful team right now. Quite fruity, plenty of life and wide appeal.

Bellbird Spring - Block Eight Pinot Gris 2009 NEW RELEASE

'Old-oak fermented, lightly sweet. Quite a lovely, universal-appeal style, the light sweetness appealing to some people and works very well with a lot of food courses. No noticeable oak affect. Good varietal flavours, clearly ripe fruit when picked and this shows nicely. No mistaking the variety. Plenty of time ahead, into 2012 at least.'

The Pruner's Reward - Sauvignon Blanc 2009 NEW RELEASE

Seeing the owner-winemaker is also the pruner, perhaps a style made for Guy Porter! More traditional as a sauvignon than the oak-fermented Block Eight Sauvignon; frisky, tangy and with plenty of varietal characters as we know them in the South Island . A very refreshing and satisfying summer wine, with no rush through 2010. This one under screw cap.

AVAILABILITY

Our wines are available within New Zealand. We are supported by a number of fine wine merchants who offer good service and good prices.

Waipara - Pukeko Junction Regional Wine Centre, Leithfield. Telephone 03 314 8867

Chistchurch - Decant www.decantwine.co.nz, Hemingways www.hemingwayfinewines.co.nz, and Vino Fino www.vinofino.co.nz and Eadie Fye's Wine Shop (+64 39610993).

Auckland -The Wine Vault, Grey Lynn. www.thewinevault.co.nz, Wine and More, Rosedale/Albany www.wineandmore.co.nz, and Bacchus cellars, Remuera www.bacchuscellars.co.nz

Wellington - Rumbles, Wellington City. www.rumbles.co.nz, Wineseeker, Wellington City. www.wineseeker.co.nz

in Australia

Adelaide - Goodwood Cellars, Goodwood. Melbourne Street Cellars, North Adelaide. Fall From Grace, McLaren Vale. Parafield Airport Liquor, Salisbury South. Village Cellars, North Adelaide. Edinburgh Cellars, Mitcham.

in the United Kingdom through:

Adams Fine Wines & Spirits Ltd, Hoylake in Lancashire, Barrica Wines, Preston in Lancashire. www.barricawines.co.uk, Caviste, Hampshire and Berkshire. www.caviste.co.uk Cheshire Smokehouse, Wilmslow in Cheshire www.cheshiresmokehouse.co.uk, DeFine Food and Wine Ltd., Sandiway, Cheshire. www.definefoodandwine.com, Direct Wine Shipments in Belfast. www.directwine.co.uk, Duncan Murray Wines, in Leicestershire. www.duncanmurraywines.co.uk, Gauntleys of Nottingham Ltd. in Nottingham. www.gauntley-wine.co.uk, Huntsworth Wine Co Ltd in London W8. www.huntsworthwine.co.uk Roberts & Speight Ltd. Beverley, Yorkshire. www.hamperbox.co.uk, Taurus Wines Ltd in Surrey. www.tauruswines.co.uk, The Vineyard, Ramsbottom in Lancashire. www.thevineyardwineshop.co.uk, Old School Wines in Staffordshire www.oldschoolwines.co.uk.

in Canada through The Case For Wine, 3704-95 Thorncliffe Park Drive, Toronto, Canada, M4H 1L7 Telephone 1 416-482-0241.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AWARDS

Bellbird extra virgin olive oil has received medal awards for the fourth year running. Two gold medals were awarded. One each to Dolce and Fruttato Verde respectively at the Olives New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards 2009. Click on ORDER FORM to puchase these extra virgin olive oils.

GREENING WAIPARA

Bellbird Spring recently participated in Greening Waipara, a viticultural biodiversity project funded mainly by the Bio-Protection Research Centre, the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology and Waipara Winegrowers.

Planting native species at Bellbird Spring

Details of the project and the work wineries and vineyards in Waipara have supported can be found at: