2012 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5

Pale ruby-garnet. Brown paper and clove oak. Dried blackberry and tobacco development, with thyme and spice notes, plus some grilled bacon fat. Supple and pure palate, with a fine balance of acidity, fine tannins and rich fruit. Integral and supple, even at a ripe 14%. (TJ)

Good medium red. Inviting spicy high tones to the aromas of red berries, pepper and smoky minerality. Tangy, taut and savory in the mouth; less supple than the 2013 Block 3 example today but more intensely flavored, with a strong saline quality that contributes to the impression of inner-mouth tension but currently partly masks the wine's sweet red fruit and spice flavors. The firm-edged tannins call for at least a few years of cellaring. My sample showed great staying power, retaining its red fruit, spice and smoky mineral flavors for several days in the recorked bottle. Outstanding potential--and one of the most complete New Zealand pinots of 2012. (Felton Road's Block 5 and Block 3 are adjacent vineyards planted on deep loess soil, the latter with some calcareous deposits. The Block 3 features a 1992 planting of a Swiss selection similar to the Wadenswil that's commonly found in Oregon, while Block 5 was planted in 1993 to a UC-Davis Pommard clone. Both wines are vinified with about 30% whole clusters.)