Felton Road

Felton Road was founded in 1991 by Stewart Elms, who planted the original vineyard in Bannockburn - a sub-region of Central Otago on the South Island, at the southern limit of commercial viticulture in the world. Blair Walter joined as winemaker in 1996 and remains so. Nigel Greening, a British entrepreneur, bought the estate in 2000 and has been a committed, hands-off owner - investing in vineyard expansion and the biodynamic programme without imposing himself on the winemaking.

Around thirty-two hectares across four vineyards: The Elms (the home vineyard on Felton Road itself in Bannockburn, including the legendary Block 3 and Block 5), Calvert, Cornish Point, and MacMuir (the newest, higher-elevation site - land acquired 2010, planted 2012). Continental climate: hot dry summers, cold winters, dramatic diurnal swing. Schist and loess soils.

Exclusively Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Demeter-certified biodynamic since 2010 (transitioning from around 2002). Wild yeast fermentation, whole-bunch inclusion, gentle handling, restrained use of oak.

The cuvées:

• Block 3 Pinot Noir - from the original Block 3 site planted in 1991. The most celebrated single block and the wine most frequently compared to premier cru Burgundy.
• Block 5 Pinot Noir
• Calvert Pinot Noir
• Cornish Point Pinot Noir
• MacMuir Pinot Noir - first released with the 2021 vintage; earlier fruit went into the Bannockburn blend
• Bannockburn Pinot Noir - the estate blend
• Block 2 Chardonnay, Block 6 Chardonnay, Bannockburn Chardonnay
• Block 1 Riesling, Bannockburn Riesling

Felton Road is widely considered the benchmark for New Zealand Pinot Noir and one of the strongest arguments anywhere in the world for the grape outside Burgundy. Block 3 is the specific wine that settled the argument.