-
95
/ 100
Bob Campbell MW -
95
/ 100
Huon Hooke -
92
/ 100
Mike Bennie -
17
/ 20
Jancis Robinson MW
Red
Classification
Pinot Noir
Variety
2012
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
New Zealand
Country
Central Otago, Bannockburn
Region
14.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
95 / 100"Deliciously fruity Pinot Noir with blackberry, dark cherry, floral/violet and a hint of mixed Oriental spices. Seamless wine that delivers impressive power with great subtlety. There is no question that it will age very well but its dangerously drinkable right now. 17 JUL 2013"
- Bob Campbell MW
95 / 100
"Deep red/purple colour; bright and youthful still, some fresh earth and dried herb aromas, a hint of oak; the palate fine and soft, fleshy and quite high in tannin, the palate somewhat mouth-puckering and savoury with a touch of grip. A surprising wine. Lots of structure here. 13 AUG 2015"
- Huon Hooke
92 / 100
"‘It’s always fuller bodied and deeper fruited, charming wine, but almost can be to some people as simplistic’, says Blair Walter winemaker of Felton Road, ‘it’s surrounded by the lake on three sides so there’s a moderating influence, sitting at the edge of the Cromwell Gorge it gets a cool breeze, the BBQ breeze as it’s called, so it’s tempered from the heat and doesn’t get quite as cold, but I am not sure how this works as the palate is bolder and the fruit is fuller flavoured usually’. Mysterious site. ‘We’ve just started a study with Lincoln University looking at soil analysis and hoping to relate this to must composition, as we note much more stable phs in our wine’, continues Walter. A tidbit. Choc-berry and mocha aromas, blackberry and briary notes too. Heady kind of perfume. It’s a fleshy pinot noir no doubt, luscious and rolling with dark fruit flavours, a touch of powder puff of dusty tannins and sweetness-meets-twigginess through the finish. For the hedonsists, a richer expression of Felton Road’s stable of pinot noirs, but again, there is a briny tang of acidity keeping the wine from flabby and a crispness is inherent in the wine too. Just bigger shoe size than some."
- Mike Bennie
17 / 20
"Very good vintage for Central Otago even though it was notoriously difficult in northern wine regions such as Hawkes Bay. Marked diurnal temperature variation. Felton Road’s change of direction started here. Perfumed and round and fresh. Lovely balance and a dry, appetising, stony finish. Very 21st century and refreshing. Long. Somehow stony tasting."
- Jancis Robinson MW
Tasting Notes
Felton Road is a premium wine producer stablished in 1991, the estate owns 32 ha of vineyards in the Bannockburn sub-region. They prioritise minimal intervention in both the vineyard and the winery, resulting in wines of unparalleled purity and complexity.
"The Cornish Point spice box is there from the start: cedar and cinnamon, with violets and roses. The palate has the hedonistic richness, complexity and mouth-filling generosity that is the hallmark of this vineyard and yet there is an underlying brilliance and clarity to the flavours that prevents the whole from ever losing elegance. Precise and solid structure keeps the lengthy finish from wandering." - Felton Road
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity