Bald Hills is a delightful boutique vineyard in the heart of Pinot Noir country, Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand. Sunny, sheltered, private and secluded and open by appointment for you to taste award-winning wines. Our online store stocks a full range of award winning Central Otago Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.
Settled in the deep south of New Zealand is one of the most intriguing winemaking regions in the world. World-renowned for its Pinot Noir, Central Otago has kudos alongside Burgundy. Gibbston Valley, close to adventure capital Queenstown, is the highest and coolest sub-region with long, cool ripening periods. Further East along the southern banks of the jagged Kawarau River lies Bannockburn, known initially for its rich alluvial goldfields that have attracted those seeking their fortune since the late 1800s. Breath-takingly barren, the exposed rocks, sands and soils, combined with a uniquely warm and dry climate, have earned Bannockburn its nickname ‘the heart of the desert.’ With their rugged terrains and extreme conditions, these areas produce highly distinctive and complex wines.
Established in 1993, Carrick has always been about place. The name derives from the gold mining town and mountain range to which Carrick looks. The symbol of the ‘Carrick Bend’ on all of our labels signifies the strong union between our land and our people. To express this beautiful place, we make wines using only hand-picked, organically-certified, estate-grown fruit, with 100% indigenous yeast and minimal winery additions. While dedicated primarily to Pinot Noir, we are equally enamoured with Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay.
Kingsmill Wines is a boutique vineyard located in the heart of this stunning country. The vineyard itself is perched atop an old alluvial terrace containing the original "Tippet's Dam" which was key to the gold mining of the area as it was used to supply water to the face of the Bannockburn sluicings. These sluicings are now a Department of Conservation Reserve and provide a stunning view from the bottom of the vineyard.
The property was purchased in 2000 by Phillip Horn and Donna Abrams with the express purpose of producing a unique and premium pinot noir. The soils are free draining, gold bearing schist, with some clay component in the south west corner. The planting of the vineyard was designed by New Zealand champion viticulturist Karen Olssen to take advantage of this. Six different pinot noir clones were chosen and a total of 12,000 vines were established.
We have launched our 2009 Pinot Noir and the 2009 Riesling and both are drinking very well. We have recently bottled our 2011 Pinot Noir. We finished this wine and then returned it to old barrels for a further 6 months to take it to another level.
Our story begins in the early 1990's with 'The Gang Of Four' - the owners of five newly-planted vineyards in Bannockburn. Upon a handshake they decided to work together to produce wine under one label. This handshake bound the owners of Molyneux, Mansons Farm, Verboeket Estate and Full Circle until 2004 when Mt Difficulty Wines Ltd was officially formed, and the majority of the individual vineyards passed into the ownership of the company. The hardest part for the Gang of Four was in choosing a name for the label.
