Felton Road Block 2 Chardonnay 2023

Commencing with meticulous site selection and vineyard design in 1991, Felton Road's story is one of refusal to compromise. A strict 100% estate policy with fully organic and biodynamic viticulture (BioGro and Demeter certified) ensures that our fruit arrives at the winery as pure as it can be, while our entire estate comes as close to true sustainability as is possible. A commitment to hands off winemaking: gravity flow, wild yeasts, wild malo, an avoidance of fining and filtration all help preserve the wine's expression of its terroir. The result is Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir which accurately express the authenticity and complexity of our unique vineyards. Gareth King; Viticulturist, Blair Walter; Winemaker, Nigel Greening; Proprietor.

Felton Road choses to apply Biodynamic Agriculture. This approach is suggested by the German philosopher, Rudolph Steiner, in the 1920’s: it the next step beyond conventional organics (which is a pre-requisite to Biodynamics) and starts, in essence, with a simple idea: If we view a farm as a single, symbiotic living organism, then the more vigorous and complex that organism is, the richer the growing medium it provides for everything within the farm. In other words, the goal of Biodynamics is to maximise the living energy within this system in order to make it self-sustaining and of the highest quality.

So to maximise the living energy within their soils, Felton Road makes Biodynamic composts which form the foundation of this growing regime. Further Biodynamic strategies are employed in their vineyards including planting cover crops and wild flowers within the vineyard itself. Beyond sustainability, Biodynamics also promotes guardianship of the land by maximising the biodiversity it supports. For instance the hillsides behind the vines are home to a herd of goats, which keep the briar at bay while supplying meat for the table. Within the vineyard, they keep a clutch of chickens that forage amongst the vines, repaying them with natural manure, and supplying the team with delicious, organic eggs. Idyllic stuff.