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New Zealand’s Central Otago is gaining a reputation for making exquisitely beautiful Pinot Noir. Many wine enthusiasts see this wine region becoming the Cote d’Or of the southern hemisphere. Certainly there is gold in them hills - but it is Pinot Noir fever that is drawing prospectors and pinotphiles to this spectacular part of the world.
The third Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration takes place between Friday January 31 and Saturday February 1 and comprises workshops and tasting sessions. The sessions will be lead by leading International Pinot Noir commentators Jasper Morris MW (UK) and Anthony Diaz Blue (USA). Some heavy-hitting winemakers and wine writers will also contribute to panel discussions.
Central Otago is a landscape of cavities and buttresses, schistic walls of mountains and deep glacial lakes. The harsh drab green and slatey grey formations are scribbled with indelible pathways, pounded by gold miners and packhorses over a century ago. Down below the roaring Shotover river flushes its way down past the hulks of gold mining equipment, with yet another load of rafting adventurers. Up above, the last remnants of winter are slowly melting away. Poplar trees, wild thyme, rosehip and stands of orange poppies hollyhocks and wild lupins punctuate and flourish along the roadsides and unmettled lanes and byways, a reminder of all those that passed through this most spectacular countryside.
Past Queenstown and through the treacherously beautiful Kawarau Gorge lies a hidden glacial valley of moraine terraces, murky turquoise lakes and espaliered apricot trees and cherry orchards. One gully west to of the historic Bannockburn Gold Sluicing, lie the neat quilted patchwork vineyards of Felton Road, established barely twelve years ago. Its seductively perfumed and beautifully structured Pinot Noirs have caught the imagination of Pinot Noir fanatics all over the world. With only six vintages under its belt, this is a considerable achievement which has as much to do with the fastidious nature of Felton Road’s founder Stewart Elms as it has with the creative winemaking virtues, patience and sheer talent of Blair Walter, a graduate of horticultural science from Lincoln University with experience in Burgundy, Oregon and California. Two years ago, Felton Road was sold to dynamic British entrepreneur Nigel Greening, a self confessed wine nut who has a penchant for the rare white wines of the Cotes de Nuits!
Blair Walter likes to play Beethoven and Mozart to his barrels. Athletic and rugged looking, he has a gentle, self-assured but warm and polished manner. “If you love Pinot Noir, extreme weather and sports – this is Eldorado,” he says. “Most of the vineyard sites in Central Otago are quite marginal. You only have to look at the scientific papers and research. Quality is related to vineyard site, what happens in the vineyard and the winery.” Felton Road’s north facing vineyard, slumped in the warm cleavage of foothills, is early lambing country. These protected vineyards are immaculate. Indeed the vista towards Cornish Point, all cloaked in a divine light, is almost unworldly.
The vineyard has been planted in blocks, each numbered in sequence of planting. Considerable attention has been given to clonal mix, site selection to grape variety and trellising. Clearly Felton Road is about intensive viticulture. “The laissez-faire approach to vineyard practice is risky. A more active questioning role in the vineyard is more appropriate. Trusting the intrinsic qualities of our vineyard is a key concern.” Each of the blocks has slightly different soil profiles. Essentially they are Waenga soils with high clay content and underlying schistic gravels. The thickest and puggiest block is Block 5, planted to Pinot Noir, which has already shown extraordinary potential.
Walter’s approach in the winery is philosophical. “Essentially wine makes itself – I just nurture it through giving attention when it needs it.” Obviously this is where Beethoven comes into play. Walter looks towards making a wine that shows the best expression of the region. “The basic framework of Felton Road Pinot Noir is dark cherry fruit with some complex characters such as herb, earthy and savoury characters – slight influence of oak but with a rich mouth filling palate. There should be nothing harsh. We rarely see aggressive tannins in our Pinot fruit.”
While it makes excellent examples of Chardonnay and Riesling, it is Felton Road’s Pinot Noir that has had the wine world shaking its head. The Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir – already something of an auction superstar – shows strawberry dark cherry herb garden/violet aromas and flavours underpinned by malty oak, fine gravelly/textural tannins and excellent flavour length. The lesser-known Block 3 has knocked my socks off on a few occasions and a few years ago topped my scores of 76 Pinot Noirs. It is a beautifully focussed style with deep-set black cherry strawberry fruit, malty/savoury oak and touches of vanilla and game. The palate is richly flavoured with silky/lacey tannins, juicy black cherry chocolatey fruit, fine cutting acid and even but slightly grippy tannins and plenty of flavour length. These wines are considered as benchmark Central Otago Pinot Noir. Unfortunately the wines have become incredibly rare. Extraordinary demand ensures all of Felton Road’s wines are allocated. The next release of the 2002 Pinot Noir will take place around April.
Felton Road has embraced the use of Stelvin caps with the bottling of their 2001 Pinot Noir, 2001 Pinot Noir Block 3 and 2001 Block 5 with only a small amount in cork. In September all of its 2002 Riesling, 2002 Chardonnay and 2001 Chardonnay Block 2 and 2001 Chardonnay Barrel Fermented were bottled under Stelvin. Blair Walter says, “After several comparative tastings we found our wines were simply much better under Stelvin caps. The aromas and flavours were far more focussed. We are heading towards 100% Stelvin but having to tread carefully with conservative export markets in Europe. Interestingly there is no resistance in the UK at all.”
Walter believes that the future of Felton Road is about identifying the character and nuances of his vineyard, rather than selecting the best barrels. “Often a Reserve wine is made at the expense of another. I don’t believe in picking the eyes out of a wine.” The potential of Felton Road is extraordinary. Its success brings more scrutiny to Central Otago. Potentially it must be one of the world’s great Pinot Noir regions.
On Saturday February 1 at 5.30pm at the Skyline Restaurant Queenstown a futures barrel of Central Otago Celebration Cuvee Pinot Noir 2003 will be offered at auction. The wine will comprise the essence of the 2003 Central Otago vintage with the best premium parcels of wine from Akarua, Blackridge, Carrick, Chard Farm, Felton Road, Kawarau Estate, Lake Hayes, Mt Difficulty, Mt Maude, Nevis Bluff, Olssens, Pisa Range, Peregrine, Quartz Reef, Rippon and Rockburn. The wines, with a unique artist’s label, are offered ex-cellars and without a buyer’s premium. The entire proceeds of the sale are going towards the newly formed regional promotion body - Central Otago Pinot Noir. Andrew Caillard MW will conduct the sale - the barrel being offered in the following lots:
Lot 1 - 12 Bottles - Estimate: AUD$75 – 100 per bottle
Lot 2 - 12 Bottles
Lot 3 - 12 Bottles
Lot 4 - 12 Bottles
Lot 5 - 24 Bottles
Lot 6 - 24 Bottles
Lot 7 - 36 Bottles
Lot 8 - 6 Magnums – Estimate: AUD$150 – 200 per bottle
Lot 9 - 6 Magnums
Lot 10 - 1 Double magnum (3L) – Estimate: AUD$1600 –2000 per bottle
Lot 11 - 1 Methuselah (6L) – Estimate: AUD$3200 – 4000 per bottle
Lot 12 - 1 Salmanazar (9L) – Estimate: AUD$4600 – 5000 per bottle
Bids should be placed with Janyne Harman - Central Otago Pinot Noir
Tel.+64 3 445 3639 Fax +64 3 445 3659
email janyne.harman@centralotagopinot.co.nz
Andrew Caillard MW
Langton's Fine Wines
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