2023 Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir

98 POINTS

James Suckling

Floral and perfumed aromas of raspberries, rhubarb, rose petals, lead pencil and dark cherries. The palate has seamless tannins with an underlying power and pure acidity, yielding a tightly wound wine that will unravel in years to come. Made from 30-year-old, biodynamically grown vines. Exceptionally balanced and poised.

96 POINTS

Rebecca Gibb MW - Vinous

Layered and intriguing, the 2023 Pinot Noir Block 5 is finely fragranced, offering bags of primary sweet fruit, dried herbs and nutmeg spices. It is concentrated, focused and sinewy, with resolved, drawn-out tannins that give a sense of texture and provide focus, line and length. This is a baby. It will age beautifully.

95 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Block 5 Pinot Noir is muscular and powerful and savory, totally in line with its esteemed reputation up to this point. This 2023 vintage has retained all of the thundering drive that the wine has become famous for, yet, via the fruit, it posits it in a highly focused and precise manner. The fruit feels lighter and more persistent, the tannins deftly handled and overwhelmingly sophisticated. Flavors include sandalwood, mortadella, cherry compote, dried herbs, pink peppercorns and crushed rocks. I love this wine because it tastes like Central Otago, specifically Bannockburn, but every aspect that has been able to be reined in has been, making for an elevated drinking experience. Excellent. Quite likely the best yet. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.