2011 Felton Road Block 3 Pinot Noir 750ml

Minor Label Damage/Stains.

Overview

A powerful and precise single-block Pinot Noir from Felton Road’s acclaimed Bannockburn estate in Central Otago. Awarded 95 points by The Wine Front, the 2011 Block 3 combines expressive dark fruit, florals, herbs and spice with layered texture, vibrant freshness and impressive underlying structure.

Felton Road follows a strict estate-grown philosophy supported by certified organic and biodynamic viticulture. Gravity-flow handling, indigenous fermentation and bottling without fining or filtration preserve the character of the vineyard and vintage.

Vineyard

Block 3 is farmed organically and biodynamically as part of Felton Road’s Demeter-certified estate. Careful pruning maintains moderate yields and an open canopy, while soil moisture is closely monitored during Central Otago’s dry summer conditions.

All grapes were hand-picked, with fruit from different clones, rootstocks and vineyard trials kept separate wherever quality differences were identified.

Vintage

The season began with an unusually warm and stable spring without frost. Early, rapid flowering produced balanced crops across the estate. Cooler and slightly wetter conditions followed in January before the weather settled into a warm, flawless Indian summer for harvest.

Winemaking

The fruit was harvested on 21 March and gently destemmed by gravity directly into open-top fermenters, with approximately 25% retained as whole clusters. Indigenous yeast fermentation and moderately extended skin maceration developed colour, tannin and flavour without excessive intervention.

The wine matured for 14 months in French oak barrels sourced from respected Burgundian coopers. It was bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting Profile

Producer Tasting Note
Emphatically expressive…. dark fruits leading to background florals, crushed herbs and complex spice. Pure, vibrant and precise. Textured and layered with underlying power befitting of Block 3.

Critic Reviews

95 Points — The Wine Front
Review date not provided

93 Points — Falstaff
Tasted May 2014
Mittleres Rubingranat, zart unterockert, breiter Orangerand. Zart rauchig-tabakig unterlegte Kirschenfrucht, blättrige Würze, dezente Süße mit Luft. Straff, schlanker als 2012, etwas weniger Fleisch, sehr klarer Stil, zarte schokoladige Nuancen, reife dunkle Fruchtnachklänge im Abgang.

93 Points — Wine Spectator
Tasted June 2013

James Suckling
Tasted December 2012
Perfumed aromas of blueberries, raspberries and flowers follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Firm and silky. A little lean. Drink now or hold.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2011
• Producer: Felton Road
• Wine: Block 3 Pinot Noir
• Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
• Vineyard: Block 3
• Region: Bannockburn, Central Otago
• Country: New Zealand
• Farming: Certified Organic and Biodynamic
• Harvest Date: 21 March 2011
• Whole Clusters: Approximately 25%
• Fermentation: Indigenous yeast fermentation in open-top fermenters
• Winery Handling: Gravity flow
• Maturation: 14 months in French oak barrels
• Bottling: Unfined and unfiltered
• Alcohol: 14.0%
• Drinking Window: 2012–2020