Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2021

Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, 2021

Grape: 100% Pinot Noir, Natural yeast fermentation using 20% whole cluster fruit. Aged for 13 months in 25% new French oak barrels from artisan Burgundian coopers. No fining or filtering. Vine age: 7-27 years.

Felton Road farms four properties totalling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. This wine is a blend from all four vineyards; Cornish Point, Calvert, MacMuir and The Elms.

A strict 100% estate policy with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture ensures that fruit arrives at the winery as pure as it can be, while the entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. A commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow, wild yeasts, wild malolactic, an avoidance of fining and filtration all help preserve the wine's expression of its terroir.

A classic Felton Road nose of dark blossoms: rose and violet with a compote of dark fruits. The mid-palate is just screaming Felton Road. Black cherries and cream on the nose introduced cherry crumble on the palate with baked spices. Very harmonious for a wine so young, but a brooding undertow reveals the intrinsic power of the wine. Four Bannockburn vineyards seamlessly integrating to provide many layers and textures.

"Bright, juicy and linear with pure, supple red cherry and raspberry notes with a spicy bite. Has lovely taut red fruits with a bit of crunch. Vibrant, with a youthful, slightly reductive character."

94/100 points, Jamie Goode, WINE ANORAK, October 2022

"Alluringly scented pinot noir with a heady mix of floral and cassis aromas. Intense wine with a medley of cherry/berry characters that gradually unfold as the wine sits in the glass. The seamless texture impresses as does the balance between fruit sweetness and fine-grained tannin. Deliciously approachable, but no rush. This wine just keeps getting better and better."

96/100 points, Bob Campbell MW, THE REAL REVIEW, August 2022