Riesling Bannockburn 2017

Felton Road, tasting note (feltonroad.com – produktside feltonroad.com, hentet 2026-10-19): 2017 Felton Road Riesling Bannockburn – område: Bannockburn (Central Otago); drue: Riesling; alkohol 8.5%. Producentens noter (engelsk): Tasting note: Tropical fruit and ripe citrus compliment gentle spice and mineral notes. The palate leads with a burst of sweetness like biting into the first of the season’s most delicious tree ripened nectarine. The residual sugar immediately becomes secondary to the intensity of flavour that persists for what seems an eternity. Our characteristic bright acidity provides a knife edge balance and a crisp finish. Remarkably light (8.5% Alc) with appealing minerality. Vineyard & viticulture: Felton Road farms four properties totaling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. 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. Riesling followed with a longer hang time allowing for excellent flavour development. Harvest concluded with Block 1 Riesling on April 20th. Vinification: Riesling from Blocks 2 and 4 of The Elms vineyard was carefully hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The fermentation was stopped by chilling when the optimal balance was achieved between the acidity, alcohol and residual sugar (63g/L). Careful winemaking with minimal processing highlights the crisp natural acidity and the Riesling characters are delicately poised in the low alcohol of 8.5%.