Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir 2024

The Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir 2024 is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most revered single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, epitomising Bannockburn’s combination of depth, grace, and effortless complexity. Planted in 1993 on a gentle north-facing slope within The Elms Vineyard, Block 5 is a mosaic of heavy loess, silts, and clay lakebed deposits interspersed with angular schist gravels—soils that bestow remarkable structure and longevity.

Felton Road’s vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic (BioGro & Demeter), and every operation—from cover cropping and hand leaf-plucking to manual harvest—is done with precision to preserve vine balance and soil vitality. The 2024 season followed a wet spring and balanced flowering, leading to a dry, even summer and cool nights in March, allowing for a long, steady ripening that preserved acidity and defined fruit expression.

Winemaking
Grapes were hand-harvested between 19 March and 9 April 2024, with 28% whole clusters retained for aromatic lift and structural depth. The remainder was gently de-stemmed by gravity into open-top fermenters. Following an 8–10 day cold soak, fermentation occurred naturally with indigenous yeasts, with hand punch-downs up to twice daily. After 22–25 days on skins, the wine was pressed and transferred by gravity to Felton Road’s underground cellars for 16 months’ maturation in French oak (20% new). Bottled unfined and unfiltered in August 2025 to capture maximum site expression.

Tasting Note
Immediately complex, the 2024 Block 5 unfolds in layers spanning green, red, and black fruit spectrums. Aromas of morello cherry, sandalwood, and nutmeg glide seamlessly across a poised and expansive palate. Silky tannins carry flavours of spice and dark cherry, culminating in a finish of effortless elegance and composure. The aristocratic ease of this vintage reflects the deep harmony between these mature vines and the Bannockburn soils that cradle them.

Small-Batch Detail

• Region: Bannockburn, Central Otago

• Vineyard: Block 5, The Elms Vineyard (planted 1993)

• Soil: Loess, silt, clay, and schist gravels

• Viticulture: Certified Organic & Biodynamic (BioGro & Demeter)

• Fermentation: 28% whole cluster, wild yeast

• Cold Soak: 8–10 days

• Maceration: 22–25 days on skins

• Oak Maturation: 16 months in French oak (20% new)

• Fining/Filtration: None

• Alcohol: 13.5%

• Harvest: 19 March – 9 April 2024

• Cellaring: 2026–2045

Fine Pinot Note
A masterpiece of balance and finesse, the 2024 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir is powerful yet understated—woven with fine-grained tannins, spice, and savoury depth. Among New Zealand’s most iconic single-vineyard Pinots, this wine captures Bannockburn’s soul: structure, complexity, and effortless beauty.

Central Otago, New Zealand

(Image source from Misha's vineyard, Central Otago)

Central Otago has quickly established itself as ground zero for Pinot Noir in New Zealand-in the words of Jancis Robinson, "many believe this is where the Pinot grail is to be found".