Bannockburn Pinot Noir - 2018 - Blair Walter

100% Pinot Noir, from four parcels of vines cultivated biodynamically and planted on schist and loess soils, between 200 and 350 metres above sea level, in the commune of Bannockburn. Grapes from all four of the estate’s vineyard parcels go into this cuvée: MacMuir, The Elms, Calvert and Cornish Point. Green cover crops like grasses and cereals grow between the vines rows to promote the health of the soils and vineyard biodiversity in general. The grapes are picked by hand, followed by a non-interventionist vinification, with 25% whole grape bunches, and a slow fermentation thanks to the indigenous yeasts used. The wine is matured in French oak barrels, with 10% new oak, for 11 months. Neither filtered nor fined, with just a microdose of sulphur at bottling.

Felton Road is the mad project of Nigel Greening – a man who could have been a rock star in another life – and Blair Walter, an outstanding winemaker who has travelled from Oregon to Burgundy and California to New Zealand. Founded in 1998 on the South Island of New Zealand, the estate is actually located on the site of a former gold mine (!), not that that has stopped Nigel Greening from closely studying the geology of the soils to extract their maximum potential. The estate's first vineyard, Elms, was chosen and cultivated by Stuart Elms as early as 1991 for its rich loess soils. Today, Felton Road is made up of different vineyard parcels totalling 14 hectares. The main objective of Felton Road is to capture in the bottle the most precise expression possible of each of the estate’s terroirs. As Nigel puts it, he’s an unabashed "terroirist"! Indeed, Felton Road is a true laboratory for Pinot Noir in the country, and their bottles are highly sought-after by connoisseurs, which comes as no surprise. For although they are produced in a relaxed, even rollicking atmosphere, the wines are nonetheless extremely precise and supremely elegant.