Chardonnay Block 2 2011

Felton Road, tasting note (feltonroad.com – produktside feltonroad.com, hentet 2026-10-19): 2011 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 – område: Bannockburn (Central Otago); drue: Chardonnay. Enkeltmark ifølge arket: The Elms Block 2 (The Elms vineyard). Producentens noter (engelsk): Tasting note: The nose is fairly taut and nervous this young, with hints of citrus peel and a touch of pineapple in the background. The palate is somehow both rich and textural but almost entirely mineral. It is almost impossible at present to find the fruit under the layers and layers of flint and stone. But while the wine is infused with tension, it is anything but austere. The use of minimal new oak keeps woodwork well out of the picture. The finish is very long, very pure and again, chiselled from stone. Vineyard & viticulture: Felton Road farms three properties totaling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. Block 2 is positioned on a gentle east facing slope immediately north of Block 3 on The Elms vineyard and was planted in 1992. 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 Vinification: Mendoza clone Chardonnay from Block 2 was whole bunch pressed and flowed immediately (without settling) by gravity to barrel in the underground cellar. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in French oak (only 12% new), was followed by a long and complete malolactic over the spring and summer, with periodic stirring of the lees. After 17 months in barrel the wine was racked to tank for bottling in late -August 2012. The wine was not fined or filtered.