Felton Road MacMuir Pinot Noir – 2022

MacMuir Vineyard is located just one km east of The Elms Vineyard on Felton Road. It is a gentle north facing slope that lies immediately below the hills of the Bannockburn Gold Sluicings,  now a historic park. MacMuir was originally part of the Calvert  property and farmed by Felton Road since 2001. In 2010, Felton Road purchased the land from the Calvert family and planting began in 2012 after an  extensive period of preparing the soils to optimise soil structure and fertility. Nigel Greening, Felton Road’s owner, is the son of a Muir clan member: Betty Muir, hence the title MacMuir (son of a Muir). 

Vineyard Characteristics
With the high density planting, diverse range of clones and vine  material and heavy silt soils, MacMuir offers a range of complex fruit characters. The low-lying vineyard (elevation 216-224 metres) is relatively sheltered and warm with excellent ripening potential. The even soil distribution minimizes variation within and across blocks ensuring consistency of fruit quality and character. The wines show excellent texture and mouthfeel with floral aromatics and ripe dark fruits. The tannins are fine and focused with a distinct minerality in a similar fashion to Calvert: not surprising considering they share the same soil type and their close proximity.

Tasting note

“Sometimes it can be hard to find a word to match what seems so clear to the senses. The nose is dark, as is the colour, beguiling, but restrained. There is a stature to the palate here; a sort of authority to the way it stands back and allows you to explore its detail. A definite sprig of herbs, chocolate notes, but still so transparent that every nuance is revealed. It seems extraordinary that this is just the second time we’ve made MacMuir as a single vineyard release: it’s Felton Road, to be sure, but in a different dimension.” Blair Walter, winemaker

“Intense wine that is on the dark side with concentrated flavours that suggest black fruits, cacao powder, liquorice and anise supported by sweet, chewy tannins A wine of substance and of promise. Time will add new layers to an already tantalisingly complex wine.” 97pts Bob Campbell MW.