Felton Road Chardonnay

 Some of the leading wineries in Australia and New Zealand do not seem to care much about the appeal of their label; think Penfolds or Felton Road. I guess they do not have to. Today, I will review the 2018 Felton Road Block 2 Chardonnay. Here is a bottle shot. It may be the last Felton Road one.

Felton Road is mainly known for its Pinot Noir, but it produces fine Chardonnay as well. This wine is still very tightly wound. It is precise. There are many modern aspects to this wine: Biodynamic viticulture, whole-bunch pressed, indigenous yeast, no fining, no filtration, used oak only.

Citrus and grapefruit flavours are balanced by creamy notes from the malolactic fermentation. The wine is energetic, with mineral notes towards the finish. Schisty soils define Block 2. Everything is right here, just missing the x factor at this stage for an exceptional score.

Score: 94/+++

 

Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir

I have been amiss in coming through with the review of the five core Pinot Noir wines of Felton Road. So, let's continue with wine number three. This is a review of the Block 5. This wine comes from the heart of the Elms vineyard, Felton Road's home vineyard or Mother vineyard if you like. It is typically the darkest, most concentrated wine, and commands the highest price.

I am tasting the 2007 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir. This wine shows a ruby colour now, not as dark as it was as a young wine. The bouquet is strong, with pure black cherry flavours emerging from the glass. This is a medium-bodied wine, but at the full-bodied end for a Pinot Noir. There are black cherry flavours on the palate, quite noticeable Arabian spices and some forest floor, all blending together seamlessly. The wine has a velvety texture with fine silky tannins and a lengthy finish.

The flavours of this wine are world class, but I am marking it down a bit, as the line is not as precise as it could have been and the finish is not expanding, as in the best Burgundies. This is the issue with the Block 5: it is almost too concentrated for a Pinot Noir.

Still, this is a great wine at almost 10 years of age. It has not even reached its peak yet.

Score: 95/+++