Drink
Cliff hangers
by Keith Stewart
In case you hadn't noticed, New Zealand is a very hilly country – and in some places downright mountainous – so why is it that our vineyards are for the most part flat? Is it that our winegrowers suffer from some sort of cultural vertigo, or does it suggest some deep lack of balance within the winemaking community?
Perhaps part of the answer lies in Bilancia, a dinky winegrowing operation on Roy’s Hill, west of Hastings, that not only has what is arguably the steepest vineyard in the country, a veritable plunge into the flat grey plain of Gimblett Gravels below, but also boasts a rare sense of balance. Bilancia, for those not fluent in Italian, actually means “balance”, an indication not of the producer’s challenge to remain upright among the precipitously perched vines, but of their desire to make balanced wines.
That in itself is an admirable aim for any winegrower anywhere, and particularly in an age when wines are lauded for being spectacular rather than graceful. Sure, there’s no doubt that the monsters issuing from Australia, California and the warmer parts of Europe can be impressive, but what do you drink if you want something to dance on your palate, not overwhelm it?
The quest for scale has not bypassed New Zealand, either, where we seem to have decided that alcohol is a prime measure of quality, resulting in fiery, muscle-bound wines that impress anyone with a boy racer’s sensibility. Yet, there are more of the subtle varieties, such as pinot noir, pinot gris and riesling, being turned
into wines at 14% plus than there are at 12.5%, which was once considered a good standard for wines of elegance.
So Bilancia, the creation of Lorraine Leheny and Warren Gibson, is rare, not just because it boasts such a steep vineyard, but also because they have set themselves such an unusual, and challenging, goal.
Telling everybody what they are trying to do by putting Bilancia on their labels is brave, but to date they have managed to produce some very impressive wines, not least their pinot grigio (Italian for pinot gris, to fit with the Bilancia name, but the wine is nothing like the bland, grey things that the Italians choose to produce). Most local pinot gris roars out of the glass with the lusty vigour of vodka-strength alcohol, but theirs have been impeccably reserved, and continue to be so, to much acclaim.
Now they are about to launch into syrah, – that variety the Australians turn into monsters called shiraz – which Bilancia grow on the cliff they fondly call a vineyard. Watch out for it under the name La Collina (the hill) sometime next year if you fancy something sultry for your mouth to dance with. It will be very rare – so be warned, and be ready.
TRY THIS: BILANCIA 2003 PINOT GRIGIO RESERVE
Smells fat like a ripe pear, dusted with a gently savoury/spicy oak and an under-lying vinosity that is beguiling. Tastes like wine, too, in an earth and mineral way, glossy textured and lingering away on a raft of succulent pears with maybe a hint of old roses. Gently complex, supple, dry and worth every dollar, this should have a home in every serious cellar in the country.
PRICE: $31.95
AVAILABLE: distributed by Vintners (09) 979 2900.
