Rippon "Emma's Block" Mature Vine Pinot Noir '21

Emma’s Block faces eastward on the lakefront where ancient clay reefs run laterally through fine schist gravels. Emma’s Block is named after the great-great-great grandmother of the current generation of the Mills family. The fruit was manually harvested and fermented with native yeasts in stainless-steel fermenters, with 20% whole cluster. Each parcel as fermented and matured apart before blending. Skin contact spanned 17 to 21 days. The wine matured for a total of 14 months in French oak barrels ranging from new (24%) to four years old. Bottled in July 2022.

"The 2021 Emma's Block Mature Vine Pinot Noir is mineral, detailed and quietly spoken, with a profusion of crushed shells, white flowers, red berries and spices that seem to morph and linger over the long finish. What a wine. The single-vineyard offerings tend to elicit preference from me, yet each Pinot Noir satisfies a mood within. Today, with the rain on the roof and wafts of petrichor creeping in from outside, I think this fits hand in glove with today. This is a beauty. These only get better in time. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam. 96+ Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate."