Tasted alongside the Old Weka Pass Road there was a clear family resemblance with both wines expressing similar tautness, purity and minerality but this more expressive label shows significantly greater concentration and structure. Supremely powerful Pinot Noir but the power is delivered with great finesses. Clearly built for the long haul, I would feel a sense of loss if I opened a bottle before 2019 and expect it to continue to give pleasure for more than a decade after that. This tiny property produces some of the country’s most collectible, high-quality pinot and chardonnay.

With a super toasty and spicy nose for a young wine just released, this has a wealth of dark cherry fruit and there’s a sweetly toasted set of spices. It’s almost caramelised on the nose, opening up to more fragrant cherry fruit notes, and has a grilled nutty edge, though wild dark cherry fruits are at the heart of it. The palate has supple and smoothly rendered tannins, which read evenly with gentle grainy texture. It’s very generous and soft at the core while the finish extrudes neatly. A well-finished component is in place. Lithe, tangy and crunchy red cherry finish.--Nick Stock

Firm but generous, this offers juicy acidity that leads the way for some intense wild raspberry, cherry and blackberry flavors, revealing anise, dried lavender, clove, toast and wilted rose petal notes in the background. The tannins add an appealing mark of firmness on the long finish. Drink now through 2030.--MaryAnn Worobiec

93+ Medium to deep ruby colored, the 2011 Bell Hill Pinot Noir offers a black fruit nose with notes of black cherries, mulberries and blackberries plus nuances of cloves, cinnamon and anise. Medium bodied, the palate is densely packed with black berry and baking spice flavors and highly structured with a refreshing acid backbone and firm, grainy tannins, finishing long with a pleasant herbal lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown