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Zilzie know from good Shiraz, they have grown the finest fruit for decades and now retain access to the most splendid vineyards. The quality of their winemaking has claimed thirty trophies since they embarked on their own label. Zilzie» |
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The Moppa district was a flourishing settlement of pioneering farmers and gold miners. When the Kalleske vineyard was established in 1853, there were few schools in the region, so local parents established the Moppa Public School to provide their children with a formal education. Kalleske» |
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John Glaetzer is the winemaker behind Australia's most legendary sequence of Jimmy Watson Trophy winning vintages. Langhorne Creek is a place of spectacular editions Cabernet Sauvignon, powerfully structured, beautifully aromatic wines of edifying regional eloquence, gorgeous dark fruit flavours and lusciously gummy tannins. Gipsie Jack» |
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There are two superb high altitude sites in Carey Gully and Piccadilly Valley, which yield an extraordinary quality of Sauvignon Blanc. Knappstein take the top cut of each harvest, crushing the fruit for a long cool vinification, treating a batch to the added richness of oak barrel ferments for texture, complexity and weight. Riposte» |
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David O'Leary and Nick Walker have amassed hundreds of gold medals and trophies between them, including the prestigious Jimmy Watson. A shared confidence in the quality of Clare Valley fruit was the catalyst for them to establish their own winery. OLeary Walker» |
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Positioned half way between Avoca and Ballarat, the modestly sized Amherst have only ten acres under vine. The small yields translate into extraordinarily structured, powerfully intense wines, brimming with fine aromatics and lined with silky tannins. Amherst» |
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From one of the oldest productive blocks of Marsanne in the world, an opulent white wine of remarkable complexity. The pick of fruit from this very special patch of ancient vines is crafted into a wine that's built to age beautifully in bottle, initially brooding and water white, evolving luxurious caramelled characters while unravelling layers of flavour. Tahbilk» |
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Gold Medal Winner at the highly prestigious London International Wine Challenge! The taste is very sweet, smooth, pronounced and delicous, just like dried raisins or rich tawny grape juice. Serve at cool room temperature with fine desserts, pastries and cake, pour liberally over the best quality ice creams. Lustau» |
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Enthused by a consuming desire to make great wine, Andrew Nugent honed his craft as viticulturalist and winemaker amongst the vines of McLaren Vale before returning to the Adelaide Hills, where he established his very own wineworks at Woodside. Hand crafted from fruit grown to mineral rich soils above the historic Bird in Hand gold mine, a pure Pinot Noir with superb effervescence, dominated by red berry characters, adorned by a lift of stonefruits and floral.. Bird In Hand» |
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Clare Valley Shiraz is internationally renowned, remarkable for its spectacular complexity, elegance and poise. Bill Taylor planted Shiraz with a view to formulating the very style which has won primacy throughout the world of wine. Taylors» |
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Pete Yealands is a natural viticulturalist, happiest at work on the land, he has established many of Marlborough's most splendid vineyards. Single site Awatere Pinot Noir from an exposed terrace on the upper ridge of Seaview Vineyard, planted to some marvelous Dijon clones. Yealands Estate» |
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Coriole is one of McLaren Vale's most eminent, artisanal estates. Consecutive vintages of Coriole Shiraz have claimed a remarkable back to back San Francisco Double Gold. Coriole» |
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About Felton Road - the Winery
Felton Road
Felton Road wines is located in Bannockburn, Central Otago in New Zealand, the most southerly wine growing region in the World
Here, vineyards are nestled into small macroclimates totally surrounded by high mountains, many of which are snowcapped all year round. Though the location is on the edge of sustainable viticulture these macroclimates consistently combine hot days, cool nights and long dry autumns, perfect for the creation of fine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. The latitude of 45 degrees south is similar to the Willamette Valley in Oregon and some of the finest wine regions of France.
Central Otago is New Zealand's only wine region with a continental climate rather than a maritime one. This brings the risk of frosts but has the benefit of low rainfall and high sunshine hours. Of the five distinct macroclimates so far identified in Central Otago, Bannockburn, with its gentle north facing slopes and deep loess soils seems well suited to the production of complex Pinot Noir.
The first vineyard, Elms, was selected by Stewart Elms in 1991 and planted the following year. It is a north-facing gentle valley, one of the few in Bannockburn to escape the attentions of the gold miners who sluiced many of the Bannockburn slopes. Careful attention was given to the matching of vine varieties and rootstocks to the soil variations that are found on the site. Natural gullies have been retained which guide cold frosty air through the vineyard away from the vines.
Today there are 14 hectares of vines at The Elms, about half Pinot Noir, the rest Chardonnay and Riesling
In addition Felton Road have an eight-hectare vineyard at Cornish Point in Bannockburn, dedicated entirely to Pinot Noir. Here there are 18 different combinations of variety and rootstock, each carefully matched to the soil profiles. The vineyard is designed to allow separate vinification of each section: a veritable laboratory of Pinot Noir and its possibilities. Felton Road also have a long term lease on the neighbouring Calvert Vineyard, which is entirely devoted to Pinot Noir.
Viticulture makes extensive use of handwork and is heavily influenced by organic practice. The canopies use the Vertical Shoot Position trellis system with all pruning, positioning, shoot thinning, leaf plucking and fruit thinning performed carefully by hand. The use of natural manure obtained from organic sources aids our the gentle touch that the Felton Road winamakers apply to their vines. Harvesting is by hand starting around the beginning of April and each block is harvested and vinified separately.
When making Pinot Noir, fruit passes by gravity to fermenters to prevent pumping of must. Fruit is not crushed, so it ferments as whole berries while the use of a percentage of whole bunches adds complexity and structure. Using wild yeasts for fermentation is an important part of natural wine making philosophy, with wines being rested outdoors in small fermenters for extended maceration with up to four punch downs per day, before being run by gravity to barrel. All barrels are Burgundian coopered, 3 year air dried (typically 30% new oak each vintage) and selected for their slow extraction and subtlety of flavour. Natural malo-lactic fermentation follows in the spring with wines being normally bottled after about a year in oak. Racking, fining and filtering of the wine is avoided wherever possible. White wines are all hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. Chardonnay for barrel fermentation passes by gravity straight to the barrel from the press to await a wild yeast ferment. Again a natural malo-lactic follows in the spring.
Chardonnay barrels are also 100% French oak, low extraction, 3 year air dried. This Chardonnay is stirred by batonnage (stirring of the lees) regularly throughout its life. Rieslings and unoaked Chardonnays are whole bunch pressed then wild yeast fermented, with the wines being left on gross lees with stirring to develop complexity and mouthfeel. The philosophy is to let the fruit speak for itself, gentle handling, as little intervention as possible. Wine is given a helping hand to express itself rather than moulded into an artificially created winery style.
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