Bilancia is a small Hawke's Bay producer of exceptional Chardonnay, Viognier/Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah. It is the label of winemakers Lorraine Leheny and Warren Gibson and was established in 1997 when Lorraine and Warren returned to New Zealand from winemaking overseas. The first wines were released in mid 1998 and the first la collina Syrah in 2002

The la collina vineyard is a steep, terraced and incline planted hillside vineyard on the North/ Northwest facing slopes of Roys Hill, west of Hastings, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The hillside is protected from the cooling effects of the southerly and southwesterly winds and during the growing season is bathed in sunshine. 

Black cherry, raspberry, meaty and spicy, liquorice, dried flowers and herbs, and jasmine (or ‘sniffy’ as we call it). It’s medium-bodied, the tannin is all crushed rock and while they are firm, there’s almost a sweetness to them, acidity is juicy with a sour cherry bite and also quite ‘mineral’. It’s distinctly savoury and meaty, a smoky bacon thing happening, no shortage of mouth-perfume, jasmine or similar, and the finish is dense and very long, again packed with a chamois-like grip to tannin and a little blood orange bite. It’s pretty tight as at now, so I’d give it a few years to unpack. It’s quite a wine. Date: Feb 2026; Alcohol: 13%; Price: $180; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2028-2040+; Rated: 97 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front