[New Zealand] Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir New Zealand 2013

During Chinese New Year, I bought 2 bottles of Pinot Noir from New World countries for tasting. The 1^st one is DuMOL RRV 2011 in my previous post. The 2^nd one is Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir New Zealand 2013. Felton Road winery is located in the far southern New Zealand’s region Central Otago sub-zone Bannockburn. This region has a lot of mountains and come with continental climate with dry and warm weather. This warm climate gives the grape ripe fruit flavors, heavier taste and more tannic. Felton Road winery was established in 1991, winemaker Blair Walter believes in natural wine, using 100% organic winegrowing, biodynamic viticulture and wild yeast for wine fermentation, trying the best to minimize artificial disturbance, and let the wine to develop naturally.  

Felton Road has 3 vineyards in Bannockburn, the grapes for this wine are blended from one 1/3 of each vineyards. They harvest the grapes by hands. For winemaking, the wine has long maceration to extract deep color, more tannic and more fruit flavor. After fermentation, the wine will be aged for 11 months in French oak barrels. All the wine is fermented with wild yeast and before bottling the wine it won’t be filtered, to let the wine keep develop in the bottles.

My Taste note: The wine has beautiful purple color. It has red fruit such as cherry, spices, cinnamon, vanilla and black pepper aromas. In the palate is medium body, dry, pleasant acid and fine tannic. At the end, it has a long and layers after taste. Overall, this wine has complex aromas and fruity mouthfeel. This time I tried two Pinot Noir wine from two different regions. USA DuMOL and New Zealand Felton Road, both has their unique flavor. If, you like fruity Pinot Noir, less structured, NZ Pinot Noir will be a good choice.

在新年期間我買了兩枝新世界Pinot Noir葡萄酒來品嚐. 上次我已介紹過美國DuMOL RRV 2011,這次是一枝來自紐西蘭的Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir New Zealand 2013 Felton Road 酒莊是位於紐西蘭最南邊的Central Otago (中奥塔哥)裡的一個Sub-Zone Bannockburn. 這裡的地形是多山帶有大陸性氣候,天氣都是比較溫暖和乾燥.這種氣候種出來的葡萄帶有成熟水果的味道,比較濃的味道和單寧會較多.Felton Road 酒莊建立於1991年,釀酒師Blair Walter崇奉天然葡萄酒, 採用100%的有機耕種,自然動力種植葡萄和野生酵母發酵,盡可能降低人為的干擾,讓葡萄酒自然發展.

Felton Road在Bannockburn有 3 個葡萄園, 每個葡萄園的3/1葡萄都是用來釀製這款酒.他門操用人手採摘葡萄,釀酒過程包括,讓葡萄汁和果皮有較長時間的浸泡,可以抽取更深的顏色,更多單寧和更多果味.發酵完之後會在法國木桶內熟成11個月.所有葡萄酒都是用野生酵母發酵和裝瓶前不會過濾,讓葡萄酒在瓶裡繼續發展.

我的品酒筆記: 酒的顏色有漂亮紫色,帶有紅色果香例如車厘子,香料,肉桂,香草,和黑胡椒香氣.口感是中等酒身,乾型紅酒,宜人的酸,有細緻單寧.它有較長和層次感的After Taste.整體這款酒有複雜的香氣和Fruity的口感.這次我試了兩枝來自不同地區的Pinot Noir. USA DuMOL和紐西蘭Felton Road兩枝酒都有它的獨特之處.如果你喜歡比較fruity的Pinot Noir,結構較為輕快,紐西蘭的Pinot Noir會是很好的選擇.

[USA] DuMOL Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011

During Chinese New Year’s holidays, I bought 2 bottles of Pinot Noir wine from USA and New Zealand. The greatest Pinot Noir wines are from Burgundy (France), but the New World countries are also trying to make similar style of Burgundy Pinot Noir wine. Pinot Noir requires a cool climate area to grow, it is successfully grown in Oregon and New Zealand. This time, I tasted the one from USA DuMOL Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011. DuMOL winery was established in 1996, the name was came from the first winemaker’s children named Duncan and Molly. The owner Kerry Murphy, Michael Verlander and winemaker Andy Smith are big fans of Burgundy wine. In order to emulate Burgundy Pinot Noir perfumed style, the winery settled in California Sonoma, the most famous wine region Russian River Valley. The cool, foggy and maritime climate is very suitable for Pinot Noir growing. However, they tend to be low profile winery and there is not much public exposure. But on 2011 White House State Dinner, DuMOL Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2008 was selected for dinner wine.

DuMOL produces single vineyard wine and blending vineyards wine. This Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is a blending vineyards wine from 9 different vineyards in RRV. For Vintage 2011, they believe blending wine can achieve heightened complexity, low yield and provide excellent concentration. The grapes are hand harvested and crushed, and goes to malolactic fermentations. Then the wine are aged for 11 months in 35% new French barrels and settled 3 months in tank. Before bottling, the wine has no filtering, it help the wine to keep developing in the bottle. Wine critic Robert Parker rates this wine as 90 points which is outstanding wine.

My Taste note : It shows beautiful Dark Ruby colour. Before tasting, the wine has decanted for 1 hour. The aromas included Ripe Red Fruit, Cherry, Leather, Spicer, Licorice and Herbs. The palate is Dry, Light to Medium Body and light acid like cherry and strawberry. It has silky tannins, very smooth and pleasant. After taste brings out red fruit flavor and smooth tannins that can last to the end. Overall, this wine provides complex aromas, nice structured and enjoyable mouthfeel. The price for this wine is acceptable for New World wine. Sometime, Burgundy wines are not ready to drink or too expensive, at this price and quality, DuMOL RRV is very worth to try out.

在新年假期間, 我買了兩枝來自美國和紐西蘭的Pinot Noir(黑皮諾)紅酒. 當然最好的Pinot Noir紅酒是來自法國的勃根地, 但是新世界的地區嘗試釀造跟勃根地差不多風格的Pinot Noir紅酒. Pinot Noir 葡萄需要在涼爽氣候的地區生長. 它成功地在Oregon(奧勒岡州)和紐西蘭成長. 這次我先品嚐來自美國的DuMOL Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2011. DuMOL 酒莊在1996年創立, 它的名字是來自第一個釀酒師的子女名字 Duncan 和 Molly. 莊主Kerry Murphy, Michael Verlander 和釀酒師Andy Smith都是勃根地葡萄酒的愛好者. 為了釀造出帶有勃根地Pinot Noir的芬香, 酒莊設置在加州Sonoma(索諾瑪)內的一個出名釀酒區Russian River Valley (俄羅斯河谷). 這裡是海洋性氣候,清涼和大霧,很適合Pinot Noir的生長.他們都是一個比較低調酒莊,盡量都不會在公開活動暴光. 但是在2011年的白宮國宴上, 他們的DuMOL Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2008被選為餐酒.

DuMOL有生產單一葡萄園和混合不同葡萄園的葡萄酒. 這款Pinot Noir Russian River Valley是混合了9個來自RRV不同葡萄園的酒. 2011年他們相信混合不同葡萄酒可以獲得提高葡萄酒的複雜性,低產量和非常好的濃度.葡萄是人手採摘, 壓碎之後進行乳酸發酵.之後在35%新法國木桶內熟成11個月後再在別的酒桶內3個月安定下來.裝瓶之前葡萄酒是不會進行過濾,這樣可以幫助葡萄酒在瓶內繼續發展.這款酒獲葡萄酒評論家Robert Parker評分為90分, 是代表Outstanding的酒.

我的品酒筆記: 這款酒有漂亮的深紅寶石色.在品嘗之前,葡萄酒在醒酒器內1小時.香氣包括有成熟的紅色水果,車厘子,士多啤利,皮革,一些香料,甘草和草藥氣味.口感是乾身,中等酒身和輕輕的酸好像車厘子和士多啤利.它有絲綢般柔滑的單寧,感覺非常和藹. After Taste帶出紅色水果味道和平滑的單寧可以維持到最後.整體這款酒提供複雜的香氣,有良好結構和很享受酒在口內哪種感覺.這款酒的價錢是可以接受,有時勃根地的酒還沒到時候飲或太貴, DoMOL RRV這個價錢有這種質素的酒是很值得一試.