Pinot Noir Block 5 2016

Felton Road, tasting note (feltonroad.com – produktside feltonroad.com, hentet 2026-10-19): 2016 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5 – område: Bannockburn (Central Otago); drue: Pinot Noir. Enkeltmark ifølge arket: The Elms Block 5 (The Elms vineyard). Producentens noter (engelsk): Tasting note: Immediately the pedigree is obvious: loaded with dark fruit and dried herbs, with hints of smoked meat over a complex spice background. The palate leads with a silky chocolate like sensation that builds and flows to every corner of the mouth. There is a harmony of different textural components that’s enchanting and endlessly enticing. It’s all about finesse, detail and honesty: no more and no less. Vineyard & viticulture: Felton Road farms four properties totaling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. Block 5 is situated on a gentle north facing slope in the heart of The Elms vineyard and was planted in 1993. 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. El Nino conditions provided westerlies and early warmth, which combined with high soil-moisture, pushed an early bud-burst and vibrant growth. Temperatures rose rapidly towards flowering with moisture-wicking wind conditions keeping growth in check. December brought extreme diurnal swings the likes of which we are not accustomed to seeing so early in the season; afternoon highs in the low thirties balanced by single-figures overnight. The diurnal pattern continued through January with a full 30°C swing on January 11th. Overnight temperatures then became warmer than normal with scattered rain events offering some relief for desiccated soils. Veraison was early with a rapid onset but prolonged completion. Pinot Noir skins showed impressive colour and condition by the start of March. Peak temperatures dropped away as high diurnals returned, offering a balancing tension and finesse after the welcome but unusual early season warmth. The Pinot Noir harvest was relatively early beginning on March 23rd and concluded on April 9. Vinification: 25% of the fruit was retained as whole clusters with the remainder carefully de-stemmed directly to the fermenters by gravity without harsh pumping. Long pre-fermentation soaks of 7-8 days prior to fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punched down by hand up to three times per day with a total time on skins of 21-23 days. Pressed off and barrels filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel cellars. […]