Pinot Noir Block 5 2017

Felton Road, tasting note (feltonroad.com – produktside feltonroad.com, hentet 2026-10-19): 2017 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: A diverse and complex aromatic profile that’s difficult to single out individual components: the layers and intensity are all you could wish for. The site and its ageing vines bestow a completeness and compelling harmony. Spice and perfect ripeness of fruit keeps it focussed and sophisticated. The wine saturates and coats the entire mouth with the flavour and tannin building to provide an enduring and memorable finish. Pedigree, purity and power. 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. The soils vary up the slope from heavy loess and silt, clay and angular schist gravels. 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. The end of winter and spring 2016 was as warm and sustained as we have ever experienced, resulting in an early bud-break and fast even growth. Summer saw westerly winds concurrent with cool overnight temperatures pulling in the reins, slowing growth to a gentler pace. Relatively cool temperatures and high rainfall in January offered succour to both the canopies and understory. As was the case for heat summation, our season’s rainfall seemed to have been provided early. Small shattered bunches from unsettled weather over December’s flowering period reduced demand on the vines during the cooler, dry periods that occurred during the later parts of summer. Nature provided us with a perfect outcome to an unusual season characterised by a fast start and slow finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were harvested swiftly from March 29th with both varietals complete within a week. Vinification: 20% 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 8-10 days prior to fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punched down by hand up to two times per day with a total time on skins of 22-24 days. Pressed off and barrels filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel cellars. […]