Bald Hills is a specialist vineyard producing premium Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling wine, located in Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand
The unique landscape of Central Otago, where award winning wines are grown
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Bald Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir derives from grapes grown solely on the estate vineyard. Winemaker Grant Taylor prefers to make Pinots from single-vineyard sites. The particular nuances, aroma and flavours inherent to the grape grown on that site add an intellectual element to the wine.

Our Pinot Noir vineyard is separated into three distinct blocks; The original block was planted with clones 5 and 10/5 vines on their own roots in 1997. Two further blocks were established in 2002, being our South and North blocks, both planted with the Dijon clone B115. The main proportion of the South block is on rootstock 3309 with the balance of that block and the entire North block on rootstock 101-14. Clone Abel has now been planted in the position formerly occupied by an olive grove.

These vineyards are all tended by hand from the beginning of Spring until harvest. This is a labour and time intensive process, concentrating on each vine as an individual. The merit of this is that we have the best possible control over growth and ripening, ensuring only the best quality fruit is chosen come harvest time.

 

Bald Hills Central Otago “Three acres” Pinot Noir 2008
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2008 Pinot Noir

For the first time, we at Bald Hills have made an early drinking style of Pinot Noir.
We have called it “Three Acres.”

Tasting Note:

The 2008 “Three Acres” Pinot Noir displays delightfully rich aromas of coffee beans, caramel, spice, leather and a hint of baked hillside herbs with a layer of red berry fruits. The palate is light and ripe in the mouth. Good acid and light tannin definition supports the sweet fruit flavours where raspberries and cherries predominate. Decanting will render the tannins subtler still, and soften the acidity.

Foodmatch:

Bright, clean and uncomplicated, this wine is very versatile. It is a great accompaniment to both luncheon and dinner dishes such as soups, salad, chicken and cheese. Try it with a Caesar Salad or a Chicken Cacciatore.

Viticulture & Winemaking:

Hand-picked fruit, cold soaked, 30% selected whole clusters. Fermented in open top fermenters, plunged by hand 4 times per day.

After a post fermentation period of 1 week the wine was pressed gently and transferred to French oak barriques, 35% new. Aged for ten months in barrel.

Technical Notes:

Picked 11 April 2008
Brix 25.5
Alcohol 14.23 %
TA 5.4g/L
pH 3.66

Winemaker: Grant Taylor

  
       

Bald Hills Central Otago “Single Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2007
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2007 Pinot Noir

Tasting Note:

Enticing ruby colour with purple/violet tinge at the rim.

Rosemary George, a UK wine judge, tasted this wine in May 2008. She had this to say..

“The 2007 developed beautifully over the evening. Deep vibrant colour with an initially closed fresh nose, some ripe fruit and a firm streak of tannin. It developed some lovely black cherry aromas, and is layered and textured with good fruit and depth and would continue to develop in the bottle.”

Bald Hills own tasting in August notes the development of a “star anise” spiciness and a familiar scent of violets as the wine unfolds.

Drinking well now but has cellaring potential for at least 10 years.

Viticulture:

VSP trellis system with a 95cm fruiting wire. Vine density of 2500 vines/hectare. Hand tended and picked. Inter-row plantings of phacelia, buckwheat and triticale to promote the activity of beneficial insects and to condition the soil.

Winemaking

Hand-picked fruit cold soaked, 30% whole bunch. Primary fermentation completed in 8 days, during which time ferment was plunged by hand up to 4 times per day.After a post fermentation period of 1 week the wine was pressed gently and transferred to French oak barrels, 35% new. Very coarse filtration.

Technical Notes:

Titratable Acidity 6.4.grams/litre
pH - 3.64
Free SO2 - 25ppm
Dissolved CO2 - 770ppm
Alcohol - 13.66%

 
       

Bald Hills Central Otago “Single Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2006
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2006 Pinot Noir

Technical Notes:

Harvest Date:                      4 April 2006
Bottling Date:                       19 March 2007
Brix at Harvest:                    24.8°
Alcohol Content (%v/v):     14%
Titratable Acidity (g/L):        5.7
Residual Sugar (g/L):          <1
Vineyard Soils:                    Wind-blown loess over schist bedrock,
                                            moderately sandy and free-draining
Clones:                                10/5, UCD 5, UCD 6, 115

Viticulture:

VSP trellis system with a 95cm fruiting wire. Vine density of 2500 vines/hectare.

Winemaking:

Hand-picked grapes were cold soaked at 10°C for one week, 30% whole bunch and 70% de-stemmed. Primary fermentation was completed in 8 days, during which time the ferment was plunged by hand up to 4 times per day. After a post-fermentation maceration of 1 week, the wine was pressed, inoculated for MLF and finally transferred to French oak barrels (35% new). Racked out of barrel, very coarse filtration. No fining.

Tasting Note:

Bright ruby with a violet tinge, the 2006 Bald Hills “Single Vineyard” Pinot Noir displays an enticing bouquet dark fruits, mixed spice and rose florals. The wine is rich and dense on the palate with tannins supporting vibrant fruit through the finish. A very complex and exciting Pinot Noir that will age superbly.
 
Food Match:

Rich game meats or salmon will be accompanied superbly by this wine.		  
     

Bald Hills Central Otago “Friends and Lovers” Rosé 2008
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2008 Rosé

Tasting Note:

The 2008 “Friends and Lovers” Rosé, made entirely from Pinot Noir Clone B115, has a delicately floral aroma preceding a crisp, lively and lingering palate of red berry fruit, enhanced by just the smallest amount of residual sugar. The wine falls into the “off-dry” category.

Food Match:

Soft mellow cheeses such as farmhouse Brie or Ricotta. Great with antipasto, light lunches and barbecues. Serve lightly chilled.

Viticulture and Winemaking

B115 clone picked from one of the newer Pinot Noir blocks within the Bald Hills Estate.

Vines are trained to VSP and are spur pruned. The fruiting wire is 1 metre above ground level.

Juice is left in contact with the skins of this red grape for 48 hours to impart both flavour and the delightful salmon pink colour. This wine is cool fermented in stainless steel before being settled and bottled.

Technical Notes:

Picked 2 April 2008
Brix 22.8
pH 3.34
TA 6.1
Residual Sugar 7.5g/L
Alcohol 13.2%

   
 
   
   
 
 

Bald Hills Central Otago “Pigeon Rocks” Pinot Gris 2008
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2008 "Pigeon Rocks" Pinot Gris

Tasting Note:

The 2008 Pinot Gris has an enticing aroma of Granny Smith apples and pears leading into a crisp bright mouthful with a hint of sweetness. Though rich with fruit and texture, the palate is both clean and uncomplicated.

Food Match:

This wine is very versatile. It suits those who like to have a glass with nibbles or lunch, and it is an admirable accompaniment to Asian foods, chicken and seafood.

Viticulture and Winemaking:

Bald Hills makes its Pinot Gris very simply to preserve the natural vibrancy of the “Pigeon Rocks” block fruit. The grapes are gently pressed and undergo a long cool fermentation period. The 2008 has also acquired texture from two months lees contact prior to bottling.

Technical Notes:

Picked                  16 April 2008
Brix                      24.7
Alcohol                14.2 %
TA                        5.9g/L
pH                        3.27
Residual Sugar     8g/L

 
   
   

 
 

Bald Hills Central Otago “Last Light” Riesling 2008
Download tasting note (.pdf) 2008 "Last Light" Riesling

Tasting Note:

A surprisingly perfumed aroma of tropical fruit, fairy floss, juicy fruit chewing gum and hints of lime blossom introduce this Riesling from Winemaker Grant Taylor.

Initially the taster is tricked into expecting a sweetish style but the lemons and limes acidity “kicks in” so that the finished effect is refreshingly dry with a silky dense mouthfeel.

Food Match:

The tropical bouquet, slight sweetness and acidic finish make this wine an ideal accompaniment to dishes such as liver pâté, wilted Asian greens, creamy seafood soups, and chicken or fish with coriander or coconut sauce. It is also delicious served lightly chilled as an aperitif or to add an extra dimension to simple luncheon or vegetarian meals.

Winemaking and Viticulture:

The “Last Light” Riesling block is on the sloping East border of Bald Hills Estate, so named because it receives the last rays of the sun as it disappears in the West. Pruning and tying down of the vines forms an arched shape to promote even shoot distribution and plenty of space for bunches to ripen.

The berries are gently pressed and undergo a long, cool fermentation period in stainless steel. The aim is to preserve the natural vibrancy and ripeness of the fruit through minimal intervention.

Technical Notes:

Picked 21 April 2008 at 23.8 brix
Alcohol 13.9%
Titratable acidity 6.9
pH 3.07
Residual Sugar 12 grams/litre

 

 
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