Felton Road Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2024

The Felton Road Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2024 is a beautifully expressive single-vineyard wine that encapsulates the power, precision, and perfume of one of Bannockburn’s most singular sites. Planted in 2000 on a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by Lake Dunstan, the Cornish Point vineyard benefits from a unique mesoclimate that moderates temperature extremes and preserves fruit purity.

The soils—fine loess and silt over deep alluvial gravels with seams of limestone—contribute to a wine that is plush yet poised, offering richness with an unmistakable mineral edge. The vineyard is farmed to certified organic and biodynamic standards (BioGro & Demeter), with cover cropping, manual canopy management, and minimal irrigation used to ensure vine balance and biodiversity.

Winemaking
Hand-harvested fruit was gently destemmed into open-top fermenters using Felton Road’s gravity-flow system, with 25% whole clusters retained to enhance perfume and structure. The must was fermented with indigenous yeasts and given a moderately long maceration, extracting depth and tannin while preserving silkiness. The wine was matured for 13 months in French oak (20% new) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered to capture the full vineyard expression.

Tasting Note
Aromas of red cherry, plum, and dried herbs lead into a complex and fragrant bouquet of cardamom, mace, and cranberry. The palate glides effortlessly, its silky, sweet tannins carrying layers of spice, dark fruit, and subtle earth. A hallmark Cornish Point—expressive, pure, and finely poised, combining generosity with precision.

Small-Batch Detail

• Region: Bannockburn, Central Otago

• Vineyard: Cornish Point (est. 2000)

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

• Fermentation: 25% whole cluster, wild yeast, gravity-fed

• Maceration: Moderately long skin contact

• Oak Maturation: 13 months in French oak (20% new)

• Alcohol: 13.5%

• Fining/Filtration: None

• Harvest: 19 March – 9 April 2024

• Cellaring: Drink 2025–2040

Expert Reviews

⭐ 98 Points – James Suckling

“So perfumed, with violet, fresh strawberry and black cherry aromas. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a persistent, caressing finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

⭐ 97 Points – Bob Campbell MW

“Intense, fragrant Pinot Noir with a distinctive flavour footprint that includes a medley of floral, dark berry and mixed spice characters. The wine evolved as it sat in the glass, becoming mellower and more complex. A pleasure to drink now, but no rush.”

Fine Pinot Note
The 2024 Felton Road Cornish Point Pinot Noir is a seamless union of fragrance and finesse. Plush and perfumed, yet underpinned by refined minerality and balance, it epitomises Bannockburn’s elegance and Felton Road’s biodynamic precision. Perfect with duck breast, venison, or porcini risotto.

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".