Felton Road 2023 Cornish Point Pinot Noir

Vintage
Spring temperatures and rainfall were normal with
only a couple of mild frost events which were
successfully fought. Flowering proceeded in warm
and relatively stable weather and resulted in setting a
normal sized crop across all three varieties.
December was warm and dry with these conditions
further exacerbated over the next several weeks until
a welcome rain event on February 21. With the
relatively dry conditions prevailing for the previous
months, this event and the periodic rain throughout
March (but still only 43mm recorded), did not
present any disease pressure issues and provided
welcome relief to the warm and somewhat previous
stressful conditions. Cooler night temperatures
arrested the ripening for slow and steady
development. Harvest commenced on March 23,
and fears of an early, hot and fast harvest were
fortunately not realised.
Vinification
The unique gravity flow winery enabled the grapes to
be gently destemmed directly into open-top
fermenters without pumping, with 20% retained as
whole clusters. Traditional fermentation with a
moderately long maceration on skins has extracted
good colour and tannin with considerable depth of
flavour. This wine was aged for 13 months in 25%
new French oak barrels from artisan Burgundian
coopers. In accordance with our noninterventionalist approach to winemaking, this wine
was fermented with indigenous yeast and malolactic,
and was not fined or filtered.

Vintage: 2023

November 2024 – Jancisrobinson.com, Julia Harding MW, 17

Mid cherry red. Delicate, stemmy red fruits and refined herbal notes without greenness. Sweet and juicy on the palate, light-bodied, refined, dry and elegant on the finish. (JH) 14%, Drink 2026 – 2035

November 2024 – Jamessuckling.com, James Suckling, 96 points.

Floral and fragrant aromas of strawberries, hibiscus, cinnamon bark and plums. The palate is medium-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of raspberries, chalk, dark cherries and spices. Pure and polished with an aromatic lift and some old-vine nuance. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

October 2024 – The Real Review, Stephen Wong MW, 96/100 *****

Layered, heady perfume of roses, wild berries and cinnamon bloom on this complex, arrestingly aromatic pinot. Densely concentrated and compact flavours of blackberry coulis and baking spice soak the entire palate in vibrant primary fruit. Submerged cocoa-tinged tannins make an appearance after a fashion. Impressive and intense yet effortless, this is very young, and already so delicious right now, but it will be vastly better with a bit of time in the cellar to gain more complexity. Drink: 2024-2040

Central Otago, New Zealand

Volume: 750mL

Alcohol: 14%

November 2024 – Jancisrobinson.com, Julia Harding MW, 17

November 2024 – Jamessuckling.com, James Suckling, 96 points.

October 2024 – The Real Review, Stephen Wong MW, 96/100