2022 Felton Road Riesling Block 1

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 91 points

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  2/9/2023 - Michael Mackenzie Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Vineyard & Viticulture
  Felton Road farms four properties totaling 34 ha in the
  Bannockburn subregion of Central Otago. Block 1 is a
  north facing slope immediately west of Block 3 on The
  Elms vineyard. It consists of the same Waenga soils
  (deep silt loams) as Block 3 and starkly contrasts the
  schist gravel soils of our Riesling in Blocks 2 and 4.
  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
  Regular rainfall throughout spring and early summer
  was higher than normal, and along with warmer soil
  temperatures, resulted in solid early season growth.
  Flowering commenced early in warm and ideal
  conditions with a cool spell and rain at the end, which
  unfortunately did affect fruit set in Riesling. A warm
  and dry January continued to advance development
  with veraison starting early and proceeding rapidly.
  Early February rain replenished drying soils and a
  cooler month was welcomed to arrest the advanced
  development. A return to warm and dry weather from
  early March meant grapes ripened quickly during the
  final stages. Harvest commenced early on March 16
  with Chardonnay from Elms and Pinot Noir followed
  the next day from Cornish Point and Calvert. Riesling
  was harvested in Blocks’ 2 & 4 from March 26 to April
  4, with Block 1 on April 14.
  
  Vinification
  Riesling from Block 1 was carefully hand-picked
  followed by whole bunch pressing. The juice was settled
  for 5 days followed by a 4 week fermentation with
  indigenous yeasts. The fermentation was stopped by
  chilling to balance the high natural acidity with residual
  sweetness of 52g/L, resulting in the low alcohol of
  10.0%. The wine rested on fine lees with minimal
  processing before bottling in early-September to
  highlight the delicate Riesling characters.
  Source: winery website.
  
  Colour: pale straw, bright, clear.
  Nose: q restrained, rounded, fresh, citrus notes dominate
  Taste: light body, rounded, sweetness leads but gives way to an elegant, if soft, blend of fruit and acidity. Long finish, rounded v good fruit and not cloying in any way.
  Overall, a discovery that reminds me of good Mosel.

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  11/20/2022 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 93 Points

  Really nice medium sweet, good body, refreshing. Would goreally well if fresh schellfish or kina

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