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Felton Road

My tasting at Felton Road was one of the highlights of my visit to Central Otago at the end of January. Owner Nigel Greening and winemaker Blair Walter have been making some of New Zealand’s richest, most complex and most complete Pinot Noirs going back to the early 2000s, mostly from favored sites around their winery in Bannockburn (they also own 7.6 hectares of vines in Cornish Point, a few miles away). The privileged Bannockburn region, with its diverse soils, is mostly planted today, said Walter, and Felton Road owns 32 of the 325 acres of vines there (other important owners include Carrick, Mt. Difficulty, Akarua and Terra Sancta). Felton Road produces about 12,500 cases a year but now has a no-growth policy, according to Walter.

Walter described 2012, 2013 and 2014 as “by far the strongest trio of vintages we’ve ever seen. In 2014 we had a classic growing season with great conditions and no heat spikes—even better than 2012, which was superb here: tight, linear, less opulent.” He went on: “the 2014s have the precision and finesse of the 2012s but in a warmer, friendlier package.” Walter begins by carrying out a cold soak at 11 or 12 degrees C. with sulfur for 8 to 10 days, doing a gentle pumpover every three days. He then starts to warm the tank to get the fermentations going (he has worked entirely with indigenous yeasts since 2005), after which he punches down the cap once or twice a day and eventually three times during the peak of fermentation. He also does five days of post-fermentation maceration. Incidentally, Felton Road was certified by Demeter in 2010 but has been working entirely biodynamically since 2005.

Of particular importance here in recent years is that Felton Road has reduced the vigor in their vines to get a better natural balance in the fruit. “We used to wait until the grapes reached 25 degrees Brix before the green flavors disappeared,” commented Blair. “But now we can pick as low as 22—and earlier—without having green flavors, although we have to avoid a lack of fruit weight." Following the green-harvesting, Pinot yields here are down to just five or six tons per hectare. Walter ages his Pinots mostly in 30% new oak, but uses 40% for the Block 3.

From New Zealand’s Pellucid Wines: More Light Than Heat (May 2016) by Stephen Tanzer

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2015 Riesling

Release Price: $40

Release Price: $80

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Felton Road

2015 Riesling

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