2025 Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2
Tasting Note
A wine with much to say but never speaking too
loudly. Detailed aromatics command attention:
jasmine, lemon balm, sage leaf. The palate is
completely unhurried in revealing itself. Tonic
acidity provides length, building to a chalky
finish. The 33-year-old, own rooted Mendoza
vines weathered the dry summer of 2025 with
ease. A decidedly calm rendition of Block 2,
fruit and acid in perfect balance.
Introduction
Commencing with meticulous site selection and
vineyard design in 1991, Felton Road's story is one of
refusal to compromise. A strict 100% estate policy
with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (BioGro
and Demeter certified) ensures that our fruit arrives at
the winery as pure as it can be, while our entire estate
comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. A
commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow,
indigenous yeasts and malolactic, an avoidance of
fining and filtration all help preserve the wine's
expression of its terroir. The result is Riesling,
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which accurately express
the authenticity and complexity of our unique
vineyards.
Gareth King; Viticulturist, Blair Walter; Winemaker,
Nigel Greening; Proprietor.
Vineyard & Viticulture
Felton Road farms four properties totaling 34 ha in
the Bannockburn subregion of Central Otago. Block
2 was planted in 1992 and is positioned on a gentle
east facing slope of deep angular schist gravel soils
immediately north of Block 3 on The Elms vineyard.
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.
Vintage
Abundant rain in September and October replenished
soil-water reserves. After a later than average
budbreak, the vines grew well until a katabatic frost,
the most extensive in twenty years, struck the
vineyards on 3 November. Fortunately, losses were
localised within vineyards and occurred early enough
in the season for many vines to recover. A benign,
settled period coincided with flowering and a
successful fruit set did much to compensate for the
damage from the frost. Summer saw even
temperatures and a protracted dry period, which
served to slow down ripening and concentrate
flavours. After February finished with a warm flourish,
the weather cooled distinctly, especially at night.
Chardonnay was harvested quickly commencing on 26
March until 2 April. The slow and measured
conclusion of ripening has endowed the wines with an
impressive breadth, vibrancy and finesse.
Vinification
Mendoza clone Chardonnay from Block 2 was whole
bunch pressed, settled overnight and flowed by gravity
to barrel in the underground cellar. Fermentation with
indigenous yeasts in seasoned French oak (no new)
was followed by a long and complete malolactic over
the spring and summer. After 17 months in barrel (11
months on gross lees), the wine was carefully racked
to tank for bottling in late-August, 2026. The wine was
not fined or filtered.