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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 11 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by M.Y. Chong on 6/22/2023: Felton Road Dinner (The Wine Society Stevenage): A step up in its aromatic intensity. Rose petals, sweet spices, bruised strawberries. Perfectly ripe palate. Long finish and acidity. (628 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 6/6/2023 & rated 94 points: This has developed well sind my last encounter, showing beautiful clean fruit intermixed with Burgundian farmyard and spicy notes, very good freshness and balance. (980 views) | | | Tasted by HowardNZ on 1/14/2022: 2019 Visit to Cromwell (Central Otago, NZ): Attractive florals, spices and black and red cherries on the nose. On palate, harmonious, balanced and integrated. Opulent but, to me, sufficiently restrained under control. Blair compared the 2017 with the 2012 and 2015 Block 5s – a top pair – saying the 2017 could be even more opulent than the other pair. The tannins need some time to soften (hold until 2023+). Excellent potential. (1814 views) | | | Tasted by The_big_boss on 5/31/2019 & rated 93 points: Wow. Smell of strawberries and cress. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel. Beautiful balance. Light as a feather, in a good way.
Tasted together with Occidental Freestone Pinot 2016. For me i prefer Block 5. Occidental felt more old world but Block 5 just felt more in balance and had better mouthfeel. (3041 views) | | | Tasted by ashikoh on 1/19/2019 & rated 86 points: Judgement of Paris II Pinot Noir Tasting: medium translucent ruby • a bit green, 2017 vintage was cool, reductive even after a couple of hours in the glass, bottled under screwcap • very long finish, 13.5% ABV • longtime winemaker Blair Walter uses 20-30% whole clusters • held its own in this flight but would lay down awhile and then give a long decant (3289 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 12/23/2018 & rated 93 points: 2017 Block 3 and Block 5 next to each other. Saw them the same way Collector did. 5 had brighter fruit and was also showing more aromatic, 3 was earthier with a bit bigger body. Both were open and accessible with fine and integrated tannins. 93 points for Block 5, 91 for Block 3 (2881 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 12/22/2018 & rated 93 points: Light, translucent ruby. Lighter than other vintages I had, the cool 2017 year fully shows. Discrete nose of red berries, toast, vanilla. Almost Fourrier style (which is a compliment). A very subtle Pinot, good but not at the level of the best vintages. Difficult to judge now. 93-94 (2895 views) |
| By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (10/27/2022)
(Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago Block 5, New Zealand) Subscribe to see review text. | By Bob Campbell MW
Decanter, Great wine regions: Good, best, better (5/1/2021)
(Felton Road, Block 5 Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (10/4/2019)
(Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago Block 5, Red, New Zealand) Subscribe to see review text. | By Tim Jackson MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/26/2019)
(Felton Road, Block 5 Pinot Noir Central Otago Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and Decanter and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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 1999.2017 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5Tasting Note
A diverse and complex aromatic profile that’s difficult to single out individual components: the layers and intensity are all you could wish for. The site and its ageing vines bestow a completeness and compelling harmony. Spice and perfect ripeness of fruit keeps it focussed and sophisticated. The wine saturates and coats the entire mouth with the flavour and tannin building to provide an enduring and memorable finish. Pedigree, purity and power.
Introduction
Beginning with meticulous site selection and vineyard design started in 1991, Felton Road's story is one of refusal to compromise. A strict 100% estate policy with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (Demeter certified) ensures that our fruit arrives at the winery as pure as it can be, while our entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. A commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow, wild yeasts, wild malo, an avoidance of fining and filtration all help preserve the wine's expression of its terroir. The result is Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which accurately express the authenticity and complexity of our unique vineyards.
Gareth King; Viticulturist,
Blair Walter; Winemaker,
Nigel Greening; Proprietor.
Vineyard & Viticulture
Felton Road farms four properties totaling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. Block 5 is situated on a gentle north facing slope in the heart of The Elms vineyard and was planted in 1993. The soils vary up the slope from heavy loess and silt, clay and angular schist gravels. Meticulous summer management of a single vertical shoot positioned (VSP) canopy ensures even and early fruit maturity. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning and harvest are all carried out by hand to ensure optimum quality fruit. Cover crops are planted between rows to assist in vine balance and to improve soil health and general biodiversity.
Vintage
The end of winter and spring 2016 was as warm and sustained as we have ever experienced, resulting in an early bud-break and fast even growth. Summer saw westerly winds concurrent with cool overnight temperatures pulling in the reins, slowing growth to a gentler pace. Relatively cool temperatures and high rainfall in January offered succour to both the canopies and understory. As was the case for heat summation, our season’s rainfall seemed to have been provided early. Small shattered bunches from unsettled weather over December’s flowering period reduced demand on the vines during the cooler, dry periods that occurred during the later parts of summer. Nature provided us with a perfect outcome to an unusual season characterised by a fast start and slow finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were harvested swiftly from March 29th with both varietals complete within a week.
Vinification
20% of the fruit was retained as whole clusters with the remainder carefully de-stemmed directly to the fermenters by gravity without harsh pumping. Long pre-fermentation soaks of 8-10 days prior to fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punched down by hand up to two times per day with a total time on skins of 22-24 days. Pressed off and barrels filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel cellars. The wine spent 16 months in barrel (22% new French) with two rackings and no fining or filtration, before bottling in early-September 2017.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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