Initiated in 1991 with meticulous forethought in site selection and vineyard design, Felton Road's narrative is one unwaveringly dedicated to eschewing compromise. Anchored in an unyielding 100% estate policy, combined with a steadfast commitment to fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (dual-certified by BioGro and Demeter), our fruit's purity upon arrival at the winery remains unparalleled. Our estate's ethos, extending as far as possible toward genuine sustainability, exemplifies our conscientious approach.
Central to our winemaking philosophy is a hands-off ethos: a reliance on gravity flow, the embrace of wild yeasts and malolactic fermentation, and a deliberate avoidance of fining and filtration. This collective endeavor serves to safeguard the wine's innate ability to articulate its terroir. The culmination is our Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir—expressions that authentically convey the intricacy of our unique vineyards.
The unique gravity flow winery facilitated the gentle destemming of grapes directly into open-top fermenters—no pumping required. A proportion of 20% remained as whole clusters. Employing the traditional approach, fermentation ensued with a moderately extended maceration on the skins, ensuring an optimal extraction of color, tannins, and profound flavor dimensions. Following this, the wine underwent a maturation period of 13 months, 25% of which transpired in new French oak barrels sourced from artisan Burgundian coopers. True to our hands-off winemaking philosophy, indigenous yeast and malolactic fermentation were allowed to occur naturally, without intervention. Furthermore, in alignment with our non-interventionist ethos, the wine was not subjected to fining or filtration processes.
