Explosive appeal
Timothy Giles features two wines from Bilancia, a boutique Hawkes Bay winery punching well above its weight.
4 April 2025
Bilancia La Collina Hawkes Bay Syrah $160
Making a super premium wine takes courage. Launching a new wine with a price as high as your vision announces to all: "I’ve made something very special here".
When winemaking couple Lorraine Leheny and Warren Gibson released their La Collina Syrah in 2002, the wine world loved it. I certainly do and commend it to you, regardless of vintage.
La Collina is only made in that years Lorraine and Warren deem worthy. No La Collina was released in 2011, 2012, 2017, 2022 or 2023. When it is released, get some.
Powerful, seductively spiced and layered red. Collectible excellence that’s currently under-priced - the last release has sold out; to secure yours click here.
Bilancia Tiratore Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2021 $95
Tiratore: sharpshooter. Planting the slopes of Roy’s Hill with Syrah to grow La Collina and the foothills with Chardonnay, old bullet-casings were found. Often.
Turns out the vineyard was once a rifle-range. I’m tempted to say the wine has an explosive appeal, but that would be a cheap (if accurate) pun. It does have power and precision.
Chardonnay at its best can be like a summer rainstorm, the power and texture to surround our senses and rain-drop precision of flavour. Tiratore is Chardonnay at its best. You will find it on excellent wine-lists and at fine retail. First made in 2018, its not yet famous, it soon will be.
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