Bilancia

Bilancia is the shared passion project of two of New Zealand's most respected winemakers, Warren Gibson and Lorraine Leheny. The name means "balance" in Italian, and while that might sound a bit poetic, it is actually the perfect description for what they do. They aren't chasing sheer power or massive extraction; they are looking for equilibrium and genuine site expression.

The heart of the operation is the La Collina vineyard on the slopes of Roys Hill in Hawke's Bay. "La Collina" literally means "The Hill," and it is a beast of a site. Steep, terraced and planted on sandstone and limestone, it is difficult to farm but produces Syrah that sits comfortably alongside the best in the world. It is widely considered a benchmark for the region, proving that Hawke's Bay can deliver that savoury, peppercorn-spice character found in the Northern Rhône.

But they aren't a one-trick pony. While the Syrah gets the headlines, their Chardonnays are serious stuff. They have expanded beyond Roys Hill to include the cooler Kaikora vineyard in Central Hawke's Bay, where ancient argillite soils add a steely, mineral edge to the wines. Whether it is the estate releases or the single-vineyard icons, the winemaking is confident and hands-off. They use wild ferments, whole bunches and old oak to frame the fruit rather than mask it. It is precise, artisanal winemaking at its best.