2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5
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Tasting notes
Good deep, bright red. Dark raspberry, smoky minerality and flowers on the nose, with an emerging sweet oak component. Silky and ripe on entry, then almost surprisingly tightly coiled in the middle, with a superb core of acidity supported by buffering flesh. The red berry, spice and mineral flavors showed a chocolatey element as the wine opened in the glass, but this stunning pinot has more than enough energy to stand up to its ripeness. Finishes very long and supple, with intense berry and spicy oak flavors.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Darkest of all. Intense darker fruit but also a little stemmy. [Tom Carson suggested that stemminess turns into complexity in later life in Pinot Noir.] Firm and savoury on the palate with beautiful fruit line and length. Really moreish and avoids that oversweetness of red fruit that I sometimes find in New Zealand Pinots – though more often in those from Marlborough. (JH)
Cropped at 5-6.5tons/ha and matured for 11 months in 55% new French oak, the 2007 Block 3 Pinot Noir has a Burgundian nose with superb definition and fruit intensity: wild strawberry, raspberry and a sense of earthiness. The palate is medium-bodied, very fine tannins and sense of symmetry. Elegant, perhaps less weighty than the 2006, but supremely well crafted. It should age effortlessly over the next decade. I met proprietor Nigel Greening in London back in 2008 for a first peek at his new releases just before he moved permanently to New Zealand and then re-tasted some of the wines in Central Otago during the Pinot Noir Celebration and again at regional tastings. As expected, winemaker Blair Walter continues to produce a very Burgundian style of Pinot Noir that prioritizes elegance and finesse over power and concentration. Although their Pinot Noirs hog the limelight (deservedly so), their excellent Chardonnay and Rieslings should not be ignored. Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd., St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661; fax (707) 963-8566.
18 months barrel ageing. Layered complex nose. Bigger, sweeter fruit than the Block 3, although there is a lot of acidity here too. Muscular and more ‘masculine’ than the more ‘feminine’ Block 3. Borderline bitterness on the finish. (JR)