Felton Road Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2024

The Cornish Point Pinot Noir comes from vines located on the Cornish Point site, on the shores of Lake Dunstan, near Cromwell, in the Central Otago region, on the south of New Zealand's South Island. This vineyard, planted on silty-sandy and alluvial soils rich in pebbles, benefits from a continental climate characterized by large temperature variations. The gentle terraced exposure and proximity to the lake promote slow and even ripening of the grapes, resulting in Pinot Noirs that are concentrated, precise, and of great aromatic purity.

The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted, then transferred into vats as whole bunches and partially destemmed. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, with gentle extractions through manual punch-downs. After devatting, the wine is gravity-fed into French oak barrels, some new, for prolonged aging on fine lees without early racking. The final blend is made just before bottling, without fining and with minimal filtration to preserve the aromatic integrity and silky texture of the Pinot Noir.

This wine reveals notes of ripe red fruits, black cherry, and plum, complemented by floral touches reminiscent of violet and peony, as well as spicy nuances of black pepper and licorice. On the palate, the texture is silky, supported by fresh acidity, fine and polished tannins, and a long, precise finish that retains good tension.

Introduced in 1819, vine growing was greatly developed by Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, a French Marist missionary. Sent to Oceania in 1837, he settled there from January 1838 onwards to develop New Zealand's vineyards. The first quality vineyards were established in the Hawke's Bay region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After setbacks caused first by phylloxera and then by the First World War, the vineyards began to expand again during the Second World War, when their area doubled. Today, New Zealand has 10 main wine regions spread across the North and South Islands, the largest of which is Marlborough. Most of New Zealand's wine regions have a maritime climate. The country's long, narrow shape means that vineyards are never more than 120 km from the coast, and most are much closer than that (with the exception of the semi-continental Central Otago region). A spine of mountains running down the centre of the country shields most of the main wine regions from the strong westerly winds off the Tasman Sea known as the "Roaring Forties". Because of these winds, there are few wine regions on New Zealand's west coast. The quality and reputation of New Zealand wines are well established. Indeed, the country produces some of the best and most renowned Sauvignon Blanc in the world. And it is no coincidence that New Zealand has made Sauvignon Blanc its emblem, just like its sheep, its kiwis and its legendary haka!