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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 76 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by depechemoroder on 1/28/2023 & rated 91 points: In a lovely mature place. Deep cherry, slightly leathery - overall a balance between fruit and savoury. Secondary characteristics are subtle, but there. There's a relaxed firmness to this wine, with fine, resinous tannins, ample acid, and an initial tightness that gives way to an expansive finish. Very good. (384 views) | | | Tasted by JonathanP on 8/6/2018 & rated 86 points: This is ready to go. Fruit is still hanging around, but there are some tertiary flavours developing. Fairly velvety on the palate with resolved tannins but there is a bit of a prickle from some angular acids. Some heat on the finish. All up; meh. (2245 views) | | | Tasted by LindsayM on 6/11/2018 & rated 91 points: Popped and poured
Colour medium density pale garnet to ruby , bricking on edges clear and bright 15/15
Nose medium developed nose , faded fruit , dark cherries , cedar ,dried herbs , vanilla 26/30
Palate medium intensity , developed , savoury , mushroom, gamey , rich flavours long dying finish with fine grained tannins. 41/44
Overall well developed CO Pinot drinking well now and has reached its full potential 9/11 (2176 views) | | | Tasted by LindsayM on 1/12/2018: Day 1
Popped and poured
Colour deep garnet colour , ruby to light brown edges 15/15
Nose has lost the primary fruit aromas and developed smoky oak , gamey , earthy , mushroom , complex aromas 28/30
Palate full flavoured dark cherries plums rich velvety mouthfeel , long silky finish 42/44
Overall right on the end of its drinking window , maybe it will hold on a bit longer but this is as good as this will be is going to get 8/11
I’ll be interested to see what day 2 will bring ... (2205 views) | | | Tasted by Marcyrillo on 2/1/2017 & rated 90 points: Much better than the first bottle drank few years ago. Ageing helped. Light body, light oak, good complexity and acidity. A little of a harsh and alcoolic finish. (3200 views) | | | Tasted by MindMuse on 7/16/2016 & rated 89 points: Brought to a tasting, and having touted it as an exemplar of top NZ Pinot, was disappointed to find it really under-performed my previous experience. Good, but darned austere, even on day two (which it should never have made it to). (3504 views) | | | Tasted by Meara on 7/6/2016 & rated 91 points: Super intense aromas of baked cherries, blackberries, tobacco leaf and earth. The palate is light and airy with full flavors of red berries, mushrooms and black pepper spice. The finish is long with lingering notes of damp earth, mushrooms and tobacco. Aging nicely and tastes much more like a burgundy than a NZ Pinot! (2292 views) | | | Tasted by jchua123 on 3/24/2016 & rated 91 points: Bottle #11 of a 12 bottle case. Served at room temperature - c.18 degrees celcius.
Decided to pop this mindful that a bottle of 2008 Craggy Range Te Muna Road had disappointed recently. Fortunately, the 2008 Felton Road took me someplace better - ageing well and still delicious!
Lovely, spicy nose with red and black fruits with some lovely meat tones - very reminiscent of the 2008 Vougeraie Gevrey Les Evocelles. In the mouth, the fruit is more settled and less vibrant than I remember, with more olives and earth. The soft-tannins still leave a nice mouth feel, with a slight hint of alcohol and notes of eucalyptus on the long finish.
I would be happy to drink this any day! (2468 views) | | | Tasted by TiggerK on 3/14/2016 & rated 90 points: From Magnum at the Xmas do, solid and bold in the Felton fruit forward blacker fruit style, but still felt a bit closed and unforgiving, too young and certainly would have benefited from more decanting time. (2421 views) | | | Tasted by burgburgburg on 1/9/2016 & rated 91 points: Allowed it a brief bottle breath before serving. Bouquet needed some times to fully elaborate into a Vosne-like spices and red fruits. Fruit driven palate with mineral and very fine acidity. Don't get me wrong, it's still a NZ PN. But it's mature and indeed a very fine one. In fact, I would prefer it over almost all Burgundy red at this price. (1784 views) | | | Tasted by leonardo_de_araujo on 10/9/2015 & rated 83 points: Simple, unidimensional boring (1694 views) | | | Tasted by MindMuse on 10/4/2015 & rated 91 points: This reminded me of Rhys PN, with some stemmy character (though I don't know if there is any actual stem inclusion), perhaps being what characterize as green. I didn't find true greenness, but the fruit was tart and obviously not highly ripe. I did find this developed a fuller body with some about 45 minutes of air time. Nice spice, tart berry, expressive nose. 91+ (1562 views) | | | Tasted by Argrath on 8/22/2015 & rated 86 points: Full, generous and spicy nose. Oak well integrated. Cherry fruit aroma and some perfume. Disturbing green notes not to its advantage.
Medium-fullish, generous palate with smooth tannins, but also with an un-elegant sweetness. Some hints of cooked strawberries. Anise, mint and violets. Spicy, but no animaly or forest floor characteristics.
I found this wine too sweet in the fruit, and thereby giving an un-elegant and slightly disjointed impression. Up against a trio of Jadot wines (village, PC, GC) it was outclassed. (1449 views) | | | Tasted by astroman on 3/29/2015: Pretty good Pinot from NZ. (1614 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 3/18/2015 & rated 91 points: From 75cl, screwcap. This badly needed an hour in the decanter: On opening it was almost fizzy, disjointed and artificially acidic. Then suddenly – at 45 minutes after opening – everything came together and it started rolling along as expected. From that point on, see my TN of 18.07.2014, add a supremely silky texture (and hopefully agree with my 91P rating). If you P+P, you will probably be disappointed. (1541 views) | | | Tasted by dhlau on 9/14/2014 & rated 88 points: Good nose but not comparable side by side to a vosnee romanee village. Dark fruits but rather short finish. A bit tannic even after 2 hours of decanting. (1848 views) | | | Tasted by NZ_Mag on 9/8/2014 & rated 92 points: Great fruit, plum, cherry, savoury, chocolate. Long finish. Excellent in 2014. (566 views) | | | Tasted by honest bob on 7/18/2014 & rated 91 points: From 75cl screwcap. Stunningly expressive scent: oriental spice bazaar, dark black cherry, inkwell are the basic elements, but the spiralling, ethereal peacock's tail colours are much greater than the sum of the parts. Thereafter the taste is delicious, but merely earth-bound. Very concentrated, nervy, black cherry; high acidity; highly strung. A bit short on the finish. Wonderful now, good for perhaps 2-3 further years. 91(-93)P (2022 views) | | | Tasted by jchua123 on 2/25/2014 & rated 92 points: Bottle #4 out of a 12 bottle case. Popped and poured - served at room temperature (~18 degrees).
Translucent ruby colored, with good viscosity. Nose of cherries, with some hints of meat - just starting to develop some complexity. Full fruit flavor in the mouth, balanced off with some good acidity and lovely spice on the long finish provided by the soft tannins.
I really enjoy this wine. (2469 views) | | | Tasted by Drinking Trees on 10/17/2013: Nose of smoking twigs, roast meat, and red and black cherries. Palate shows refreshing acid and strong, juicy fruit: cherries and spices. Similar to the 2003, but simpler, a little more closed. Likely to improve. (2693 views) | | | Tasted by leonardo_de_araujo on 8/2/2013 & rated 90 points: Burnt wood, dark cherries and a grassy piney sap nose.
Wood is giving in to dark red fruit with airtime.
Quite dry what is good, but giving some extra airtime to open up.
Good fruit, bright acidity. Good finish
(2774 views) | | | Tasted by MyCellar01 on 6/24/2013 & rated 92 points: 30 minute decant.
Translucent ruby in colour, faint hint of orange rim.
Lovely uplifting fragrance, sweet raspberry, spice and cherry nose.
Silken mouth feel. Deliciously light, dances across the front palate.
Beautiful sweet cherry, raspberries again, a hint of acidity which develops towards the back palate as an enjoyable accompaniment.
Long finish which begins with the developing acidity, then soft welcome tannins, and a never ending story of drinking very well now. (2439 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 4/24/2013 & rated 90 points: Dinner with the grapemates: Very stemmy, spicy and earthy on the nose. The bright palate has wonderfully driven acidity and great length. Really liked the restrained flavour and fruit clarity here. (2992 views) | | | Tasted by Dingo on 1/4/2013 & rated 90 points: Perfect right now. Will drink the rest of these over the next year. (2323 views) | | | Tasted by maderay on 12/27/2012 & rated 90 points: VG. Medium-bodied, black cherries, a little smoky (2223 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Felton Road Producer website
Our Wines
Felton Road is a specialist wine producer making a small range of limited bottlings which express the terroir and minerality of vineyard blocks and sites, and the regionality of Bannockburn in Central Otago. The expression of the wines is guided sensitively and sympathetically to also fit within the parameters of what makes the great wines of the world the best. Felton Road has 32 ha of vines, Demeter certified since 2010, with Pinot Noir accounting for 70% of the output; Chardonnay is 20% of the production and Riesling is 10%. There are only approximately 12,000 cases of wine made each year, 75% of which is exported to 35 different countries. It is this international acceptance and perspective that makes Felton Road unique.
A good winemaker has a thousand ways to make a wine "better" but, better by whose assessment? It has taken us over a decade to gradually acquire the confidence to understand that the wine should be what the wine should be.
Like any good parent, one should encourage but not mould. If one sees a trait that is perhaps not what one would like to see, the solution lies not in how to cure the problem. but in learning to understand where it came from. Each year we have a new family to raise and our increased understanding can pass back to the new generation's schooling in the vineyard.
Gravity flow is the start of a gentle process, avoiding the need to pump fruit uphill. Ferments are spontaneous from the wild or indigenous yeasts that are in our vineyards and winery. Inert gas is shunned. Oak is a subtle companion not a loud guest. The Malo is simply a function of letting the warm spring air into the cellars. Pinots are unfined and unfiltered, Chardonnays are increasingly treated in the same way. The bottlings of single vineyard and single block wines are based on their speaking of a place, not on their size or hierachy of flavour.
Our Land & Vines
Considerable research by Stewart Elms (hence the Elm tree logo) in 1991 identified the north facing slopes at the end of Felton Road, Bannockburn as being one of the warmest and most ideal sites in Central Otago for the growing and production of premium wine. Heat summation data and soil maps of the area, developed as a result of the construction of the Clyde dam, were helpful in this decision. The three different soils identified are free draining with low fertility characteristics, and combined with the unique climate, are ideal for the production of premium quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Our vineyards are managed by our own viticulturist, Gareth King, and his team of dedicated staff. Meticulous summer management of a single vertical shoot positioned (VSP) canopy ensures even and early fruit maturity. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking and bunch thinning are all carried out by hand as required to ensure optimum quality fruit. Inter-row planting of various different cover crops in order to assist in controlling vine vigour, and to improve soil health and general biodiversity.
Mulch is also used in drier parts of the vineyard to help retain moisture, minimise the requirement for irrigation, and to balance areas of lighter more free draining soils. Organic compost is made utilising the winery waste, and organic cow manure and straw.
Since 2002 the vineyards have been managed organically and biodynamically, and in 2010 all three vineyards were awarded full Demeter certification. Pruning is carried out to leave desired bud numbers thus ensuring moderate controllable yields and to create an even, light penetrable canopy. Irrigation is usually necessary during the later dry summer months. Soil moisture levels are carefully monitored and water is applied only when necessary to maintain appropriate soil moisture levels. All grapes are carefully hand picked, keeping separate any quality differences within blocks due to clones, rootstocks and viticultural trials.
The Elms Vineyard - 14.4 Hectares
History & Location
The Elms Vineyard at the end of Felton Road lies in a gently sloping, north facing valley cut into the Bannockburn hills at the southern extremity of the Cromwell basin. Immediately above the vineyard lies Stewart Town and a large dam, where water was stored for sluicing the slopes of Bannockburn during the gold-rush which started in the 1860's. The fact that this valley was untouched by the gold miners is possibly a reflection of the deep benches of heavy soil that form much of its structure: soils unlikely to hold significant amounts of gold. After the gold miners departed, the slopes were left for sheep to graze until Stewart Elms discovered the site's potential for great Pinot Noir. He started to plant in 1992 and Felton Road began.
Cornish Point - 7.6 Hectares
History & Location
Cornish Point is an old gold miners settlement located adjacent to the Hartley and Reilly diggings where the first large find of gold was made in the Central Otago gold rush. It was named after the Cornish gold miners who lived there and was abandoned in the late 19th century then planted as an apricot orchard in the mid 20th century. We planted it to vines in 2000. Bordered on one side by the Clutha River and on the other by the Kawarau (now both flooded at this point to form Lake Dunstan), it is unique in being almost totally surrounded by water.
The vineyard is adjacent to the entrance to the Cromwell Gorge which results in steady airstreams. This as well as the proximity to the lake, both help minimise frost. Additional spring frost protection is provided by a flipper vine row sprinkler system for when temperatures really plummet. Although the edges of Cornish Point were eroded by sluicing or other digging, the vineyard itself is undisturbed soils.
Calvert Vineyard - 10.1 Hectares
History & Location
Calvert Vineyard is located just 1km east of the Elms Vineyard on Felton Road. The gentle north facing slopes lie immediately below the hills of the Bannockburn gold sluicings, now a historic park. Bailley's Gulley tailrace that carried away massive amounts of sluiced gold workings divides the property and provides excellent cold air drainage to minimise frost risk. The vineyard land had been home to a few sheep, rabbits and briar bushes until planting of vines began in 1999.Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.New Zealand New Zealand Wine (New Zealand Winegrowers)South Island Noeth Island (wine-pages.com)Otago On weinlagen-info |
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