March 2020 Releases: Felton Road Bannockburn 2018 Pinot Noir $70 & Bellvale Estate 2018 Pinot Noir $25

Felton Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn 2018, $70

2018 Felton Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn, $70 Beginning with meticulous site selection and vineyard design started in 1991. The Felton Road story is one of refusal to compromise. A strict 100% estate policy with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (Demeter certified) ensures that our fruit arrives at the winery as pure as it can be, while our entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. A commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow, wild yeasts, wild malolactic, an avoidance of fining and filtration all help preserve the expression of terroir. The result is Pinot Noir, which accurately express the authenticity and complexity of our unique vineyards. Gareth King; Viticulturist, Blair Walter; Winemaker, Nigel Greening; Proprietor. Felton Road farms four properties totaling 32 ha in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. This wine is a blend from our four vineyards; Cornish Point, Calvert, MacMuir and The Elms. Meticulous summer management of a single vertical shoot positioned (VSP) canopy ensures even and early fruit maturity. Shoot thinning, shoot positioning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning and harvest are all carried out by hand to ensure optimum quality fruit. Cover crops are planted between rows to assist in vine balance and to improve soil health and general biodiversity. Tasting Note: Characteristic floral, cherry and spice aromas abound from the glass on first approach. The fruit from our four vineyards (Elms, MacMuir, Calvert and Cornish Point) delivers appealing diversity of aroma and flavour, along with multiple layers and textures. The deeply textural mouthfeel is silken and already charmingly approachable: partly due to the warm 2018 season, but also highly typical of the Felton Road house style.

Bellvale Estate Pinot Noir 2018 $25

Bellvale Estate Pinot Noir 2018, $25 Established in 1998, Bellvale Wine is a family-owned business run by principal winemaker and viticulturist, John Ellis. Situated in the lush Tarwin River valley of South Gippsland, the area is acknowledged as one of Australia’s best Pinot-Noir producing regions. This is reflected in Bellvale’s numerous international and national awards over the last 21 years. The name, Bellvale, is derived from the Ellis family’s rich agricultural heritage, which may be traced back to a farm in Nieuw Amsterdam (the New York area), in the late 1600s. The Bellvale label features two majestic oak trees that grace the centre of its vineyard. Not so long ago, the South Gippsland region along Australia’s south-east coast represented brave new territory for Pinot Noir grape growers. It is now acknowledged as one of the country’s leading Pinot Noir-producing regions, with Bellvale’s own vineyard rated as one of the top two for the region.  “You get a combination of warm days and cool evenings because of the south-westerly flow off the Southern Ocean, which is beneficial to the ripening process,” says John Ellis, principal winemaker and viticulturist. Tasting Notes: 2018 ESTATE LEVEL PINOT NOIR This classically styled Pinot Noir shows upfront raspberry and wild strawberry notes with complex, savoury spices such as clove and anise. Well-proportioned oak frames the background of dense dark plums, briar and blackberry fruit. The palate is full and balanced with plenty of polished tannin and an excellent upright structure carrying a dense core of powerful fruit.