96 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Similarly hued, the 2021 Pinot Noir Block M (80% whole clusters) has a gorgeous perfume of ripe red fruits, flowery incense, perfume, rose hips, and orange blossom. Complex, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it has fine-grained tannins, wonderful purity, and a great finish. It's one of the most complex, nuanced, and perfumed wines in the vintage and I absolutely love it. Give bottles a year or three and enjoy over the following decade or more. Drink: 2025-2036. (Aug 2023)"
96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "Dark cherry and juicy strawberry aromas fit well into the Melville lineup, but this bottling is more brooding, with dark bay leaf and peppercorn depth. Zippy in acidity, the palate is loaded with patchouli and incense flavors that balance the strawberry fruit. Sappy tannins ensure a long life, so drink the wine now through 2041. (Jan 2023)"
95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2021 Pinot Noir Block M is the most potent of the Melville Pinots. It emerges from a single block planted with 114 and 115 clone Pinot on clay. A dark, somber wine, the 2021 saturates the palate with dark fruit, incense, lavender, rose petal, menthol and licorice. The 80% stems are not at all evident. Give this powerhouse Pinot a few years to settle. Drink: 2024-2033. (Sep 2023)"
95 points James Suckling: "Very clear aromas of terra-cotta and strawberries. Hibiscus as well. Spices like white pepper. Medium- to full-bodied. Linear and energetic with structure and intensity. Chewy yet agile. Drink or hold. (5/9/23)"
94 points Erin Brooks (Wine Advocate): "The 2021 Pinot Noir Block M is scented of raspberry and blackberry preserves, blood orange, aniseed, tobacco and wildflowers with amaro-like undertones. The medium-bodied palate has a concentrated core of fragrant fruit framed by dusty tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish. 598 cases were made. Drink: 2025-2040. (1/31/24)"
94 points Wine & Spirits: "Chad Melville’s pinot noirs remain some of the most stylish in the Sta. Rita Hills, as his collection of 2021s demonstrate. Block M is a hilltop in the direct line of the ocean winds. That partly accounts for the smoky, black-fruited, chiseled quality to the fruit here, with its scents of clove and cardamom, lavender and black tea. There’s a meatiness lent by herby stem notes, all of it delivered with a linear textural thrust, giving it great potential for cellaring. (Feb 2023)"
96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "Dark cherry and juicy strawberry aromas fit well into the Melville lineup, but this bottling is more brooding, with dark bay leaf and peppercorn depth. Zippy in acidity, the palate is loaded with patchouli and incense flavors that balance the strawberry fruit. Sappy tannins ensure a long life, so drink the wine now through 2041. (Jan 2023)"
95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2021 Pinot Noir Block M is the most potent of the Melville Pinots. It emerges from a single block planted with 114 and 115 clone Pinot on clay. A dark, somber wine, the 2021 saturates the palate with dark fruit, incense, lavender, rose petal, menthol and licorice. The 80% stems are not at all evident. Give this powerhouse Pinot a few years to settle. Drink: 2024-2033. (Sep 2023)"
95 points James Suckling: "Very clear aromas of terra-cotta and strawberries. Hibiscus as well. Spices like white pepper. Medium- to full-bodied. Linear and energetic with structure and intensity. Chewy yet agile. Drink or hold. (5/9/23)"
94 points Erin Brooks (Wine Advocate): "The 2021 Pinot Noir Block M is scented of raspberry and blackberry preserves, blood orange, aniseed, tobacco and wildflowers with amaro-like undertones. The medium-bodied palate has a concentrated core of fragrant fruit framed by dusty tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish. 598 cases were made. Drink: 2025-2040. (1/31/24)"
94 points Wine & Spirits: "Chad Melville’s pinot noirs remain some of the most stylish in the Sta. Rita Hills, as his collection of 2021s demonstrate. Block M is a hilltop in the direct line of the ocean winds. That partly accounts for the smoky, black-fruited, chiseled quality to the fruit here, with its scents of clove and cardamom, lavender and black tea. There’s a meatiness lent by herby stem notes, all of it delivered with a linear textural thrust, giving it great potential for cellaring. (Feb 2023)"
| Product SKU | 347431 |
| Producer | Melville |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| SubRegion | Central Coast |
| Appellation | Sta. Rita Hills |
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| ABV | 13.9% |
| Ships To |
