Felton Road 'Bannockburn' Pinot Noir 2025 [in bond ex VAT] (6 x 75cl)

Pinot Noir

75cl * Vegan * Organic * Biodynamic * 13.7% * Central Otago, New Zealand

Slap-bang in the "vinous sweet spot" of Bannockburn in the world’s most southerly winemaking region, Felton Road’s story began with meticulous site selection and vineyard design by Stewart Elms in 1991. 

Nigel Greening, a self-described Pinot Noir addict from Devon, who had previously sold his British film production company to plant the Cornish Point Vineyard in Bannockburn, bought Felton Road in 2000. Nigel kept the team in place, including Blair Walter who has made every one of Felton Road’s wines from their very first vintage in 1997. Together with viticulturalist Gareth King, the team promptly embarked on full estate conversion to organic (2002) and then to biodynamic farming, gaining a Demeter certification for all its vineyards in 2010.

Felton Road believes that growth by its own definition is unsustainable and early on Nigel decided that Felton Road would never grow beyond 400 barrels (150,000 bottles). The entire estate totals just 34 hectares across four vineyards, however within this area there are multiple pockets of microclimates and 10 different soil types alone along the 3km length of Felton Road. To preserve the wine's expression of its terroir, the entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible, working with nature using organic treatments, manure and plant cover crops to ensure natural bio-diversity in the vineyards. Low yields are achieved through hand pruning and all picking takes place by hand. In the cellars Burgundian barrels are used for the oak-aged wines and bottling takes place without fining or filtration. A gentle, minimal intervention approach to winemaking is assisted by a three-level gravity-flow winery alongside wild yeast and natural malolactic fermentation.

Tasting notes from the winery: 'A classic Felton Road nose of dark florals, rose and maybe violet, with cherry compote. Textural and rich on the first attack, with a fine line of berry leaves, raspberry or boysenberry, but right through the palate there is a clear sense of tension that prevents this from ever being fruit driven. The wine has a lovely persistence with fine and dusty tannins, leaving a line of pure fruit and petals, as it eventually fades. A classic Felton Road Bannockburn. ' 

Please note prices exclude VAT and duty which will be payable when wines are released from bond.