Otago Wine

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  November 2009

  Bannock Brae Estate Barrel Selection 2005

  Snoothrank: Starting at $33^.99

  Wonderful Pinot from the Otega region of New Zealand. Unfined and unfiltered, this wine is full of bright cherry and berry flavors, with a hint of smoke, soft tannin and great balance. A tremendous food wine.

  Wine review by WineFlair

  
  

• October 2009

  Taste 5 wines from exceptional growing areas paired with a delicious culinary ... 07 Wild Earth, Central Otago, New Zealand pairing: Spice Crusted Lamb Loin w Goat Cheese Mousse 05 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Burgundy, FR pairing: Mushroom & Herb Tartlets w Walnut Crust 05... Read moreTaste 5 wines from exceptional growing areas paired with a delicious culinary ... 07 Wild Earth, Central Otago, New Zealand pairing: Spice Crusted Lamb Loin w Goat Cheese Mousse 05 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Burgundy, FR pairing: Mushroom & Herb Tartlets w Walnut Crust 05 Markowitsch, Carnuntum, Austria pairing: Bratwurst Bites w Cranberry Braised Cabbage Wed Nov 4 6pm $25.00 Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro 516 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-962-1455 http://www.pierrelafond.co    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Passport to Wine... Pinot... by countessa618

  
  
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  October 2009

  Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago 2008

  Snoothrank:

  Cherry fruit nose and at first on palate. A bit smoky then pure raspberry kicks in like a glass of squeezed raspberry fruit. Offset by the smoky earthiness for balance and finesse.Highly silky mouthfeel.

  Wine review by Lindy Hemsley

  
  

• October 2009

  Rachel, So you found a third Peregrine. I tried a Peregrine Hill wine from CA ... the name used by the Central Otago winery (Peregrine) just down the road from Amisfield. I guess I don't understand trademark laws. I also asked a MN winery about using the name Fox Run, when it... Read moreRachel, So you found a third Peregrine. I tried a Peregrine Hill wine from CA ... the name used by the Central Otago winery (Peregrine) just down the road from Amisfield. I guess I don't understand trademark laws. I also asked a MN winery about using the name Fox Run, when it is the name of a Finger Lakes winery. They asked me if I was a lawyer, which obviously I am not    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Tasting Party: Pinot Noirs... by schellbe

  
  
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  October 2009

  Akarua Chardonnay Central Otago Bannockburn 2005

  Snoothrank:

  Purchased at winery 5/31/07. Consumed 10/9/09. Nose of creamy oak and pineapple with a little spice. Fairly heavy oak treatment. Creamy flavors, definite pineapple, with soft mouthfeel, and slight bitter fininsh. A little fecal, earthiness in background which adds to interest.

  Wine review by schellbe

  
  
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  October 2009

  Wooing Tree Vineyard Blondie 2008

  Snoothrank:

  Tasting Notes from Winery: This unique Blanc de Noir was made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, grown on our family owned vineyard. Ripe hand picked fruit and gentle winemaking have given a wonderfully balanced wine with rich texture and fruit. The elegant champagne colour resulted from... Read moreTasting Notes from Winery: This unique Blanc de Noir was made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, grown on our family owned vineyard. Ripe hand picked fruit and gentle winemaking have given a wonderfully balanced wine with rich texture and fruit. The elegant champagne colour resulted from leaving juice in contact with its skins for several hours prior to a gentle whole bunch press. The wine shows delightful aromas and flavours of white peach and nectarines, with hints of strawberries and cherries. This wine is best served slightly chilled. My wife and I toured this winery while on our honeymoon in April 2009. Thought the wine was a little better at room temperature as I was better able to taste the flavors, but I feel that way about most whites.    (hide)

  Wine review by chrisdorn

  
  

• September 2009

  Felton Road reaches new heights with their latest releases ... of New Zealand’s Central Otago region, these are must try wines. Every effort is being made at Felton Road to allow the wines to express their terroir, while capturing the intense fruit flavors the... Read more Felton Road reaches new heights with their latest releases ... of New Zealand’s Central Otago region, these are must try wines. Every effort is being made at Felton Road to allow the wines to express their terroir, while capturing the intense fruit flavors the vines are capable of providing. While not inexpensive by any stretch, the entire Felton Road line-up stood out, offering a sense of vibrancy and transparency, yet with rich, ripe fruit flavors. An attractive balance indeed. Read the complete report here. Working with some 32 hectares (almost 80 acres) of vineyards on three distinct properties, 2 of which are owned, the third controlled by a long-term lease, Felton Road has been able to bottle Estate wines since it’s first vintage in 1997. The viticulture has progressed through a move to organic farming in 2002, followed by a conversion to Biodynamic techniques begun in 2003, and was completed in 2005. The winery is in the process of being certified  Biodynamic by Demeter this year. As one would expect vinification techniques are in line with the Biodynamic principles and are as non-intrusive as possible. Whether that means the use of wild yeasts, allowing the malolactic fermentation to begin naturally, or neither filtering nor fining the wines, the end results are about 12,500 cases of ripe, expressive and complex wines annually. The use of whole cluster fermentation for the Pinot Noirs, some 20-40% depending on vintage and vineyard, and the use of new oak at decidedly low levels, add another layer of complexity to the finished wines.  While these techniques add a real impact to the finished wines, I am particularly fond of a bit of stems in my Pinot, Blair is very carefully to make sure that everything that is done enhances the finale wine, while not obscuring the purity of flavor that he is able to obtain from these vineyards. Each of the three vineyards is broken up into distinct blocks based on the soil composition. Each block has then been paired with a specific pairing of rootstock and vine in an effort to allow both soil and vine to speak in the finished wines. There are several distinct Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings that carry single vineyard or block designations and each one offers a unique experience. I asked Blair to offer some background information on the vintages we tried and briefly his points were: 2006 - Quite hot and therefore a very early and ample vintage. Some wines show somewhat elevated alcohol levels, but the wines have fresh fruit and good balance. 2007 - A cool spring and rain during flowering reduced yields by 25% or more and gave a small crop of small berries. The warmth that dominated the middle and end of the growing season helped the fruit to ripen on schedule and yielded a crop of rich, powerful yet fresh wines. 2008 - The return of a warm, sunny spring ensured a good crop set this year and the dry and cool weather during harvest allowed for extended hang time in the vineyard. The wines reflect this with their balance of ripe fruit and vibrant acidity, Interestingly, the rainfall during the growing season was so well dispersed that some vines in heavier soils went the season without irrigation. An attribute Blair credits to their conversion to Biodynamic farming. Riesling, an emerging star New Zealand is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, and then perhaps Chardonnay if one is considering white wines. Both better watch out. The cool climate and poor soils are allowing for the production of Rieslings that will soon be ready to compete with the world's best. 2008 Felton Road Riesling Priced from $29.84 Aromas of minerals, lime oil, and green leaves greet the nose followed by key lime pie, slate, light honey tones and incipient notes of petrol. In the mouth this is fairly sweet and lush yet there's plenty of juicy acidity to keep things balanced. Chardonnay, second to none The cool climate of Central Otago has proven perfect for those who appreciate their Chardonnay on the elegnat, restrained side. With a deft use of oak, these wines have emerged as some of the most complex, balanced, focused expressions of the grape in the New World. 2006 Felton Road Chardonnay Priced from $29.79 Though this is served cool it is remarkably aromatic with green apples and green plums,a touch of vegetal herbs and an underlay of silica and clay. In the mouth this is really zippy with fine balance and a sweet/sour tension that highlights the green apple and citrus character of the wine. Pinot Noir, a sign of things to come While we tasted the soon to be relaesed 2008's with winemaker Blair Walter, the notes for those wines can be found on the site, the 2007 Pinot Noir is readily available and serves as a brilliant introduction to the house style. 2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir Priced from $42.00 This has a lovely nose that balances burnished cherry and dried raspberry fruit against delicate notes of stem, moss, dried floral tones and a whisper of cinnamony spice. Rich and soft in the mouth, bordering on lush, but again with great balance. The fruit is a touch dark, veering off towards black cherry, but the soil, mineral and woodsy tones keep this fresh and offer good complexity and length. Other Felton Road wines recently tasted and due in the market soon. Felton Road Central Otago Block 2 Chardonnay 2007 Tight on the nose with notes of seashells and dusty white flowers edged with smoky nuances of butterscotch and herb. Taut in the mouth as well with good volume yet very restrained, focused flavors of green fruits. The finish is huge and really shows the richness of the wine and the fine mineral notes that offer contrast to the slow to open core of orchard fruits. Give this another few months in the bottle. 92pts Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago 2008 Lightly smoky and earthy on the nose with watermelon and spicy cherry fruit that has a light candied cranberry tone. Fairly lightly bodied though juicy and transparent in the mouth with spicy mineral tones giving the wine an almost salty tinge that adds to the subtle stemmy and floral complexity of the wine. 92pts Felton Road Pinot Noir Cornish Point 2008 Smoky and autumnal on the nose with a touch of green spice and moist soil tones. Very richly fruited in the mouth with fine grained tannins and balanced acids framing the sweet, dark cherry fruit. Herbal and forest floor notes emerge with some air as well as hints of juniper and an earthy vein that leads to the crisp finish. Rather round in the mouth and decidedly fruity but transparent. 92pts Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 2008 This smells rich and dense and sacrifices some of the transparency of the other Felton Road Pinots for that extra bit of richness. There are hints of cola and juniper on the nose with a touch of licorice accenting the plummy, dark berry fruits. The texture is soft and voluptuous with a nice spicy accent on the backend leading to rich finish with good sweet/sour tension and an earthy finale. 91pts Each of these wines was bottled under screwcap in an effort to help preserve the freshness of the wines. Don't allow that to sway your view of these wines. They are world class wines and few producers are able to offer a range of wines that perform at this high level. I was impressed by the wines freshness, depth and balance and hope you will be as well. To read more about Felton Road click here.    (hide)

  From the article The view from Felton Road

  
  
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  September 2009

  Mount Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir 2007

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by davekeyes

  
  
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  September 2009

  Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir 2006

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by davekeyes

  
  
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  September 2009

  Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 2008

  Snoothrank:

  This smells rich and dense and sacrifices some of the transparency of the other Felton Road Pinots for that extra bit of richness. There are hints of cola and juniper on the nose with a touch of licorice accenting the plummy, dark berry fruits. The texture is soft and voluptuous with... Read moreThis smells rich and dense and sacrifices some of the transparency of the other Felton Road Pinots for that extra bit of richness. There are hints of cola and juniper on the nose with a touch of licorice accenting the plummy, dark berry fruits. The texture is soft and voluptuous with a nice spicy accent on the backend leading to rich finish with good sweet/sour tension and an earthy finale. 91pts    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

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