2025 Felton Road Dry Riesling 750ml

Overview

A precise and expressive dry Riesling from Block 2 of Felton Road’s The Elms Vineyard in Bannockburn, Central Otago. The 2025 release combines vibrant citrus and stone fruit with pronounced minerality, bright acidity and impressive palate weight. Cameron Douglas MS rated the wine 96 points, while James Suckling awarded 93 points.

Vineyard

The Riesling is grown in Block 2 of The Elms Vineyard, immediately north of Block 3. The east-facing site is formed on a gravel outwash fan with very deep angular schist gravels beneath a thin covering of loess. Shoot thinning, positioning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning and harvest are carried out by hand, while cover crops are used to support vine balance, soil health and biodiversity.

Vintage

The 2025 season began with abundant spring rainfall before a significant katabatic frost struck on 3 November. The early timing allowed many affected vines to recover, while favourable flowering and fruit set helped compensate for losses. A prolonged dry summer with even temperatures slowed ripening and concentrated flavour. Riesling required particular patience, with the extended ripening period contributing both breadth and characteristic vibrancy.

Winemaking

Block 2 Riesling was hand harvested and carefully whole-bunch pressed, then settled for six to eight days before racking. Fermentation proceeded slowly for nine weeks with indigenous yeasts and finished almost completely dry at 5g/L residual sugar.

The wine rested on fine lees to build palate weight before bottling in late August. Minimal processing was used, with no fining or cold stabilisation.

Producer Tasting Notes

“A compelling interplay of aromas; vibrant yellow and orange fruits overlaid with notes of citrus blossom and chalk dust. The palate extends in all directions; bright acidity provides length whilst succulent nectarine fruit lends breadth and weight. 2025 marked the latest date this block has ever been harvested; a decision fully vindicated by the sumptuous nature of the fruit on the palate, which holds and then unfurls, building to a clean, incisive finish.”

Critic Reviews

96 / 100 — Cameron Douglas MS — Outstanding
“A bouquet that begins with scents of white flowers and minerality, a fresh water stream, wet pebbles, then pure fruit scents of lemon and apple, lime and white flowers. Naturally dry with a backbone of acidity … Complex, pure, ripe and utterly delicious.”

94 / 100 — Stephen Wong MW
“A delicately perfumed riesling with juicy flavours of yuzu, lime leaf, green apple and sweet basil … Very fine phenolics, almost powdery contributes to a finish with sweetly herbal freshness and mild pithy astringency.”
Reviewed 2025

93 / 100 — James Suckling
“A rich riesling with mango, macadamia nut and flint aromas and flavors. Medium- to full-bodied. Rather steely and crisp in the finish. Slightly off dry.”

Producer

Felton Road farms four estate properties in Bannockburn, Central Otago under a strict 100% estate-grown philosophy. Its vineyards are certified organic by BioGro and biodynamic by Demeter. The winery follows a minimal-intervention approach using gravity flow and indigenous yeasts to preserve the individual expression of its vineyard sites.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2025
• Grape: Riesling
• Country: New Zealand
• Region: Central Otago
• Subregion: Bannockburn
• Vineyard: The Elms Vineyard — Block 2
• Viticulture: Certified Organic and Biodynamic; hand harvested
• Pressing: Whole-bunch pressed
• Fermentation: 9 weeks with indigenous yeasts
• Residual Sugar: 5g/L
• Lees: Rested on fine lees before bottling
• Processing: No fining or cold stabilisation
• Alcohol: 13%
• Drinking Window: 2026–2035 (Stephen Wong MW)