New Releases! 2021 Block M and Terraces
Join us as we look back at reviews of Block M and Terraces Pinot Noir, 2016 – 2020 vintages.
2-15-2023
Introducing the highly-anticipated releases of our 2021 Block M Pinot Noir and 2021 Terraces Pinot Noir, now available online and in our tasting rooms. These two sought-after, small-lot collection wines grown on the westside of our estate not only have a fascinating story of soil and terroir, they also have historically been the most consistent critically acclaimed wines in our portfolio…delivering a lengthy history of incredible scores year-after-year. As the 2021 vintages have just made their debut, we anticipate their future scores and reviews, yet are confident they will continue their stellar performance.
Handcrafted from 25+ year-old vines grown on the westside of our estate – Block M planted at our highest altitude and Terraces on a steep slope – these two vineyard blocks are pounded by the cold Pacific Ocean wind and intense cold-climate sun. With our organic farming focus providing balance, Block M and Terraces deliver year after year with concentrated fruit of the highest quality and purity. These wines speak to the way we do things here at Melville…allowing you to taste the result of three decades of farming intentionally and consistently. Take a look at the reviews from the previous vintages below, and for more information about the Block M and Terraces vineyard blocks, read our blog, A Westside Story.
2020 Block M Pinot Noir
97 points – Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
The 2020 Pinot Noir Block M is beautifully expressive this vintage, with very pretty scents of blackberry, raspberry and pomegranate with wafts of tar, lavender, prosciutto, mushrooms and blood orange. The medium-bodied palate is intensely concentrated and boasts fine, chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and loads of detail emerging on the long finish. Wow!
2019 Block M Pinot Noir
95 points – Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Block M has beautiful scents of strawberry and raspberry jam, tangerine peel, tea and tobacco leaves with touches of iodine. The medium-bodied palate is broody and layered, with earthy bass tones and sweet berry perfume, and it finishes very long and fragrant.
94 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
The 2019 Pinot Noir Block M was 33% destemmed and saw the usual élevage all in very old barrels. Coming from clone 114 and 115, it reveals a medium-bodied, supple, lightly textured style as well classic Melville salinity and marine-like influences in its dark cherry and raspberry fruits as well as notes of iron, decayed flowers, stems, and baking spices. I love its overall balance, the purity of fruit is spot on, it has ripe tannins, and it’s going to keep for at least a decade.
2018 Block M Pinot Noir
96 points – Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast
Light in the glass, this herb-forward bottling begins with aromas of bay leaf, green peppercorn, cracked pepper and wet forest, set against the brisk raspberry core. The palate snaps with underripe raspberry and bramble, veering into the herbal tea tones throughout the sip for a refreshing and complex experience.
2017 Block M Pinot Noir
96 points – Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast
Loads of bay leaf, wild chaparral shrubs, oak forest floor, green sage and sansho pepper play against a brisk raspberry backdrop on the nose of this lively bottling. Lush, delicious and vivid flavors of red fruit meet with pine needle and eucalyptus on the palate, which is simultaneously hedonistic and intellectual.
95 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
Last of the Pinot Noirs, the 347-case 2017 Pinot Noir Block M comes from a small block of the estate vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills (clones 114 and 115) and was fermented with loads of stems and aged in neutral oak. It offers impressive black cherries, red plums, Asian spice, and classic Sta. Rita Hills saltiness and savoriness. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant, and silky on the palate, with fine tannins, it has complexity, richness, balance, and length. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 10-15 years.
94+ points – Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
Medium ruby in color, the 2017 Pinot Noir Block M has a layered nose with scents of orange oil, tree bark, amaro and peppered meats with sliced blueberries, rhubarb, cranberry, powdered strawberry, black cherries and dried violet—this offers great layering of nuanced aromas. It’s medium-bodied and quietly intense in the mouth with loads of restrained flavor layers, juicy acidity and fine, grainy tannins, finishing long on a saline note. Yes!
2016 Block M Pinot Noir
97 points, Editor’s Choice – Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast
Extremely fresh and pungent aromas of smashed strawberries are enhanced by white pepper dust, whole green peppercorns, wet tobacco leaf and the smell of a dewy morning amidst pine trees and chaparral scrub on this wine by Chad Melville. The palate is simply stunning with juniper and pine-needle elements that slip into rich yet tart cherry and baked raspberry, proving extremely dynamic and lovely all around.
2020 Terraces Pinot Noir
95+ points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
Coming from more clay soils as well as a west-facing hillside that gets pounded by the wind, the 2020 Pinot Noir Terraces boasts a deep, concentrated, age-worthy style as well as notes of darker fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, and black tea. This Burgundian, medium-bodied, balanced, structured beauty is well worth seeking out and, I suspect, will be one of the longest-lived in the vintage.
95 points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Coming from more clay soils as well as a west-facing hillside that gets pounded by the wind, the 2020 Pinot Noir Terraces boasts a deep, concentrated, age-worthy style as well as notes of darker fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, and black tea. This Burgundian, medium-bodied, balanced, structured beauty is well worth seeking out and, I suspect, will be one of the longest-lived in the vintage.
2019 Terraces Pinot Noir
95 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
The 2019 Pinot Noir Terraces should be snatched up by Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir lovers. Only 50% destemmed and aged in neutral barrels, it offers another level of purity and elegance, with thrilling strawberry and raspberry fruits, notes of loamy soil, dried herbs, and pepper, medium body, ripe tannins, and a fabulous sense of focus and elegance. This cuvée, composed of Swan, Mount Eden, 115, 667, and 777 clones, is going to have a decade of prime drinking.
94 points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The 2019 Pinot Noir Terraces emerges from three blocks on the property, planted with a total of five clones. Rich and ample on the palate, the Terraces has an extra kick of density and textural richness from cold winds that hit the fruit hard, resulting in small berries with thick skins. The 60% whole clusters are not especially evident.
2018 Terraces Pinot Noir
95 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
One of the smaller production releases is the 2018 Pinot Noir Terraces, which was 60% destemmed and brought up in very old barrels. Its ruby/plum hue is followed by a full-bodied, ethereal, incredibly elegant Pinot Noir revealing bright raspberry and red plum fruits, notes of spice box, orange blossom, and flowery incense, no hard edges, flawless balance, and a great finish.
95 points – Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pinot Noir Terraces has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and gently unfolding aromas of licorice, earth, lavender and blue and black berries. Medium-bodied, it has a soft structure and bright freshness, with a gently broody, expansive character and long, layered finish.
2017 Terraces Pinot Noir
94 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
The translucent ruby-colored 2017 Pinot Noir Terraces comes from a mix of five clones and was 60% destemmed and brought up in neutral oak. It’s the smallest production release and offers a terrific sense of earthiness and dried soil as well as red and black fruits, spice, and forest floor. With terrific complex, medium body, a fine, elegant profile, and a great finish, it’s another fabulous wine from Melville that needs 2-3 years of bottle age to hit its stride and will keep for over a decade.
2016 Terraces Pinot Noir
96 points – Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
I loved the 2016 Pinot Noir Terraces (although there are no dogs in this lineup) and it has a terrific, classic perfume of sweet red and black cherries, flowers, lavender, and assorted sandy, loamy soil notes. With medium to full-bodied richness, a layered texture, sweet tannin, and a beautiful finish, it’s one of the gems in this lineup from Chad Melville. This cuvée is a mix of Swan, Mount Eden, 115, 667, and 777, from tiny yields, brought up all in neutral barrels.
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