Block 5 Pinot Noir, Felton Road 2021

The 2021 Pinot Noir Block 5 oozes class with its coating of rich fruit that sways its way across the palate. It's not a robust style, but there's masses of fine Pinot tannins that quietly melt around your cheeks. It's rather easy to like in youth, which is surprising. It doesn't even seem to need to take a breath and relax. And yet, it's all here for the long term with its great length, quiet structure and complex fragrances that fill the mouth. 2023 - 2038

The 2021 Block 5 Pinot Noir is full throttle and energetic, but it speaks also in a restrained, measured way. The wine shows a cavalcade of red fruits on the capacious mid-palate, and it spools through the long finish. Like casting a fishing rod into a still lake, the wine has an audible “ffff-ssssssss” through the finish. There remains an overhang of flavor on the mid-palate that conveys sweet roasted meats and exotic spices. The acidity here, as in all of the 2021s, feels alive and cooling. It is a wonderful thing. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.