2025 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5
Tasting Note
The 2025 Block 5 flows across the palate with
nonchalance; the interplay of morello and rose
petal characters is so precise and beguiling as to
belie the structure that undergirds it. In their
fourth decade, these vines are approaching
homeostasis and the wine reflects this. The quiet
confidence of the 2025 - the intricacy of its
expression in this embryonic phase - calls to
mind the profound 2021.
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 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 lakebed
deposits, 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.
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.
Harvest commenced at Cornish Point on 25 March,
followed closely by Calvert and Elms, with all Pinot
Noir being completed at MacMuir on 16 April. The
slow and measured conclusion of ripening has
endowed the wines with an impressive breadth,
harmony and finesse.
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 9-10 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 23-25 days. Pressed off and barrels
filled immediately by gravity to the underground barrel
cellars. The wine spent 17 months in barrel (28% new
French) with two rackings and no fining or filtration,
before bottling in late-August 2026.