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Description
Bell Hill’s Chardonnay consistently sets the bar for New Zealand’s cool-climate expressions. The 2021 vintage threw up some serious challenges, including spring frosts that damaged up to 35% of the crop and a drawn-out flowering period that further reduced yields. However, mild weather running into harvest and incredibly focused work on the sorting tables ensured the surviving fruit was pristine.
This release is a meticulous 6-barrel blend from the Shelf, Roadblock, and Limeworks parcels in the Waipara Valley. Because of those tiny yields, the team didn't produce a Single Parcel Chardonnay this year, meaning all that top-tier juice went straight into this bottling. The winemaking is purist and patient: mostly whole-cluster pressed, fermented with natural vineyard yeasts, and put through natural malolactic fermentation. It spent 12 months in French oak (just 17% new) before its first sulfur addition, and was then racked to tank for an additional 8 months of settling.
It opens with a salivating, sea-breeze minerality, wet stones, and white florals, flowing into a vibrant palate of lime and fresh cream. As it takes on air, it builds a beautiful, textural grapefruit pith character that drives a tense, tactile finish. With only 1,795 bottles produced, it is fiercely limited and an essential addition for collectors.
98 points
"The purity of fruit in this vibrant and vivid wine is electrifying... Zesty, complex and textured. It changes in the glass constantly. A benchmark chardonnay for New Zealand."
- James Suckling
97 points
"The bouquet opens with tight, flinty aromas of lime flower, spearmint, lemon, crisp apple, green olive and wet stone, with nutty complexity gradually emerging... Very impressive overall, but this wine needs considerable time in bottle to come around."
- Stephen Wong (The Real Review)
Customer Reviews
| Price Bracket | $101 and Above |
| Type | White |
| Body | Medium Bodied |
| Variety | Chardonnay |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | North Canterbury |
| Feature |
Iconic Women in Wine Cult High Score |
| Reviewed By |
James Suckling The Real Review |
| Critic Score |
98 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
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Common Questions
Delivery is free on orders of $199 or more.
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.
Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.
No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.
Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.
We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.
To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you.
If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.
Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.
Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.
No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.
No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.
Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.
What that means for you:
- One price, same for everyone — no minimum to hit to unlock the best rate
- No mixed-six gymnastics to qualify for a discount
- Our single-bottle price is typically at or below a traditional retailer's by-the-dozen rate
Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.
**And if you find it cheaper elsewhere?** Let us know. If the same wine is available at a lower price at another retailer (including at their mixed-six or by-the-dozen rate) we're happy to match it.
If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.
Need a hand?
We’d love to help you out! Email is usually best but if it’s something urgent or you just really want to have a yarn about wine, food, or even the meaning of life, give us a call — we’re here for you.