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Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 2012 750ml

size
750ml
country
New Zealand
region
Central Otago
JS
96
Additional vintages
JS
96
Rated 96 by James Suckling
Pure, juicy nectarine and white-peach character with hints of clotted cream, crème fraîche, grilled hazelnuts, nougat and lemon myrtle. Rich and mouth-filling stone-fruit characters on the palate, with nougat, crème caramel, roasted nuts and spicy cashew oak. Beautiful, shimmering acidity and a finish that seems to linger for minutes. Drink in 2015. (Suckling)
Image of bottle
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Felton Road Chardonnay Block 2 2012 750ml

SKU 752169
Out of Stock
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More Details
Winery Felton Road
barrel

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
green grapes

Varietal: Chardonnay

For most people, the Chardonnay grape varietal is one of the quintessential white wine grapes. It isn't difficult to understand why; Chardonnay may well have started off in regions of France (where it is still used widely today in both single variety white wines as well as sparkling Champagne wines) but it is now grown in every wine producing country in the world. Indeed, it was the New World that took Chardonnay to some exciting new extremes – this relatively neutral grape has the fantastic ability to carry much of its terroir in the bottle, resulting in a fascinating range of flavors and styles. Furthermore, Chardonnay is one of the few white wine grapes which is well suited to aging, as can be seen in some of the excellent produce consistently coming out of Burgundy, and elsewhere in the world. With everything from buttery, creamy characteristics to vibrant tropical fruit notes, Chardonnay will never cease to surprise and impress.
barrel

Region: Central Otago

Central Otago in New Zealand is one of the world's most unique wine regions. Not only is it the most southerly wine region on earth, at an astonishing latitude of forty five degrees south, it is also at a high altitude, being up to four hundred meters above sea level. However, its location is somewhat ideal for viticulture, being shielded from cold winds by a mountain range, and enjoying the extremely mineral rich and volcanic soils found on the glacial valley sides of the region. Today, Central Otago is best known for its remarkably flavorful and characterful red wines, most commonly made from the fine Pinot Noir grapes which flourish there in the hot and dry summer months, alongside some superb white wines made from a range of grape varietals.
fields

Country: New Zealand

As with nearby Australia, New Zealand has over the past century proven itself to be a superb location for producing high quality wines in vast amounts, with much of the cooler regions of both islands being used primarily for vine cultivation. New Zealand wineries are notable for their enthusiasm in regards to experimentation, and for utilizing modern technologies and methods to make the most of the imported grape varietals which flourish in the rich, fertile soils and oceanic climate. In recent years, it has been the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines which have gained the most attention, as a result of their smoky character and ability to carry the mineral rich nature of the terroir they grow in. Changing consumer interests have brought about a considerable rise in the production of organic and sustainable wines in New Zealand, of which again, the Sauvignon Blanc varietals are leading the way in regards to excellence, flavor and overall character.