Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 2020

The nose contains all the characteristic array of complex aromatic notes we have come to expect from Block 3: exotic spice, dried herb, leather and deep, dark fruit. The first sip is captivating: how can a wine with such power and concentration be so enthralling yet ethereal? Further study is definitely required. It’s about balance and harmony, finesse and detail. The tannins are copious and muscular, but their chocolate coating tempers the decadence of the fruit. Wow!

Felton Road farms four properties totalling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. Block 3 is situated on a gentle north facing slope in the heart of The Elms vineyard where a deep bench of silt soil is interspersed with calcarious seams. 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.

The unique gravity flow winery enabled the grapes to be gently destemmed directly into open-top fermenters without pumping, retaining 20% as whole clusters. Traditional fermentation with a moderately long maceration on skins has extracted good colour and tannin with considerable depth of flavour. This wine was aged for 13 months in 30% new French oak barrels from artisan Burgundian coopers. In accordance with our non-interventionalist approach to winemaking, this wine was fermented with indigenous yeast and was not fined or filtered.