In the windswept terrain of Bannockburn, Central Otago, where schist-laced soils meet alpine light, Felton Road has come to define the potential of southern New Zealand wine. Established in 1991 with the planting of The Elms Vineyard, the estate was founded on a vision both bold and restrained: to let the land speak, and to do so with purity, patience, and quiet precision. Since its inaugural vintage in 1997, Felton Road has become a standard-bearer for the region, crafting wines that are as reflective as they are refined.

The estate farms four distinct sites: The Elms, Cornish Point, Calvert, and MacMuir. Each vineyard, shaped by glacial soils, elevation, and subtle climate shifts, contributes its own dialect to the house’s language of Pinot Noir. From the structured gravels of Cornish Point to the silken, silty profiles of Calvert, these parcels are vinified separately, allowing their differences to emerge clearly and honestly in the glass.

Felton Road operates entirely under organic and biodynamic principles, certified and deeply practiced. No synthetic inputs are used, and cover crops, composts, and lunar rhythms guide the viticultural calendar. In the winery, the philosophy remains minimal—gravity-fed systems, native yeast fermentations, and an aversion to fining or filtering ensure the wines remain transparent and true.

Pinot Noir is the estate’s soul. The Bannockburn bottling offers a panoramic view of the region, while the single-vineyard cuvées—Block 3, Block 5, Calvert, Cornish Point, and MacMuir—drill deep into the nuances of site. Each is a study in tone: Block 5 often dense and structured, Calvert lifted and floral, Cornish Point rich and enveloping. Together they form a suite of expressions as complex as the land itself.

Felton Road’s Chardonnay is similarly restrained and mineral, shaped by whole-bunch pressing and barrel fermentation without excessive oak. Riesling, crafted in dry and off-dry styles, reveals piercing acidity and slate-like purity, echoing the alpine clarity of the region.

Felton Road is not a loud brand, nor a show of ambition—it is an estate built on fidelity to place. Its wines, quiet in power and enduring in detail, offer a crystalline glimpse into one of the world’s southernmost wine regions.