Top Felton Road wines: Biodynamics coming of age

At Felton Road's 21st anniversary tasting in London, Rebecca Gibb MW found out how its biodynamic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines have evolved over time...

The past two decades at Felton Road are a microcosm of Central Otago and the wider New Zealand wine scene. 

The vines have matured along with their guardians, making increasingly sophisticated wine – that’s why the anniversary vertical tasting did not trace its roots all the way to 1997.

‘By starting with 2005, we are able to show a reasonable amount of vine age and 2005 was our first full year of biodynamics,’ explained Greening. 

As the tasting crossed different vintages and Bannockburn sites, covering its five Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay trio, Felton Road’s seasons were recounted in the glass — from the cool 2005 harvest and the warmer conditions of 2008, through to the ‘extremely erratic’ year of 2017.

Having ploughed their attention into the vineyard in the noughties, the vines are reportedly better behaved, which has enabled a more minimalist approach in the winery.

While Felton’s use of oak has never been out of kilter, like many other New Zealand producers, its vine age means the grapes have naturally ripe tannins and recent wines appear to require less new oak to provide structure.

Vintage highlights

A sense of balance, purity and increasing delicacy has emerged across the range. Despite vintage variations, tasting seven of its Block 3 Pinot Noir showed clear site expression in its seductive style.

While 2010 and 2012 have been much lauded, the region has had an impressive run of vintages. Since 2012 there’s been ‘no excuse’ for wines that are anything less than excellent, according to Greening. 

The 2011 vintage has suffered middle child syndrome but at this tasting, Block 5 was intriguing and tautly wound.

Similarly, the stellar 2012 harvest means the 2013 vintage is sometimes overlooked in Central Otago, but once again Block 5 showed its class: it is wonderfully fragrant, vibrant and – most importantly – delicious to drink.

Although Central Otago is known as a Pinot Noir producer with a little Riesling on the side, around 3% of its majestic landscape is home to Chardonnay vines.

Felton Road is perhaps its most renowned maker, crafting very low intervention cuvées, including the not-so sexily entitled Blocks 2 and 6. 

Perhaps most surprising was the 2007: it was not as refined as later examples but it was still not yet fully mature.  Could it be the screwcaps? Central Otago may be awash with pesky rabbits, but this is a premox-free zone.

Felton Road vertical tasting:

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