Description

Description

Felton Road is New Zealand’s very best producer of Pinot Noir and Block 5 is a special bottling from a single block in their Elms vineyard. This is vibrant and concentrated with intense cherry and spice character and silky tannins. Great with game, calves liver or rack of lamb.

Grape

Indigenous to northern France, but now grown all over the world in cooler zones, Pinot Noir is one of the greatest red varieties producing wines with a wonderfully aromatic nose and silky texture. Thins skins give Pinots a lightish colour, but levels of tannins are nonetheless high. Typically wines have medium acidity, medium body with red cherry and berry aromas in youth and develop more funky farmyard notes with age.

Producer

Based in Bannockburn, Central Otago, the most southerly wine-growing region in the world, Felton Road winery can be found in several small micro-climates surrounded by perpetually snow capped mountains. These micro-climates consistently combine hot days, cool nights and long dry autumns: perfect for the creation of fine Pinot Noir and Riesling. Felton Road work biodynamically, to promote a healthy, biodiverse vineyard with exceptional fruit quality. Ferments are spontaneous from the wild or indigenous yeasts that are in the vineyards and winery. Inert gas is shunned and oak is treated as “a subtle companion, not a loud guest” so as to allow the wine to speak of its origin.

Region

Located in the South Island of New Zealand, Central Otago is very well known for its spectacular vineyards and premium quality wines. The primary grapes grown in the region are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. Although Pinot Noir is the dominant grape in Central Otago, warmer sub-regions, such as Bannockburn, Bendigo and the Cromwell Basin typically produce wines that are often described as ‘classically Central Otago’; with strong, sweet plum and cherry flavours, together with a seasoning of thyme character in some cases. Gibbstown and Wanaka tend to make cooler, edgier wines with red cherry, fresh herb, spice and often a pronounced mineral character

Food Pairing

With good acidity and medium weight Pinot Noir is a very food friendly style that works well with red meats and hard cheese. With a bit of age the wines are excellent with game birds, venison, wild mushrooms and truffles.