Wine Article
2018 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5
Last edited on 10/17/2019 by LindsayM
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Tasting Note
A brooding nose led by hints of blackberry, potpourri and polished leather notes. Radiant energy initiates a palate that’s finely focused and dances across the tongue. Its precision and completeness combine complex components in perfect harmony: not a step out of line and perfectly formed. The finish seems to never end while you contemplate this as one of the great Block 5’s. Patience with time in barrel has paid dividends in this extraordinary rendition.
Vintage
A vintage characterised by exceptional heat, with warmer than normal overnight temperatures being of particular note from October through January. As has often been the case, this was a vintage of two halves. When our calendars moved from January to February, the turning of the page was both literal and figurative. Temperatures crashed back down to ordinary levels (in fact, the coolest in 14 years) and the drought was broken by the wettest February on record. This cool and wet month slowed the ripening considerably and fortunately allayed our concerns for the potential style and quality of the wines; due to the preceding warm months and advanced season. Harvesting began early on 28 February and proceeded in an orderly and measured pace over the next three weeks.
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 21-23 days. Pressed off and barrels filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel cellars. The wine spent 16 months in barrel (30% new French) with two rackings and no fining or filtration, before bottling in late-August 2019.
A brooding nose led by hints of blackberry, potpourri and polished leather notes. Radiant energy initiates a palate that’s finely focused and dances across the tongue. Its precision and completeness combine complex components in perfect harmony: not a step out of line and perfectly formed. The finish seems to never end while you contemplate this as one of the great Block 5’s. Patience with time in barrel has paid dividends in this extraordinary rendition.
Vintage
A vintage characterised by exceptional heat, with warmer than normal overnight temperatures being of particular note from October through January. As has often been the case, this was a vintage of two halves. When our calendars moved from January to February, the turning of the page was both literal and figurative. Temperatures crashed back down to ordinary levels (in fact, the coolest in 14 years) and the drought was broken by the wettest February on record. This cool and wet month slowed the ripening considerably and fortunately allayed our concerns for the potential style and quality of the wines; due to the preceding warm months and advanced season. Harvesting began early on 28 February and proceeded in an orderly and measured pace over the next three weeks.
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 21-23 days. Pressed off and barrels filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel cellars. The wine spent 16 months in barrel (30% new French) with two rackings and no fining or filtration, before bottling in late-August 2019.