The 2021 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Royal Ann Block takes on an exuberant, energetic lift of bright red cherry, incense, spiced orange zest, and delicate clove spice. Medium-bodied and taking on a touch more depth compared to the Liminal, it brings fine, ripe tannins and has a long-lasting, woodsy perfume on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.
96 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Sep 2023)
The 2021 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Royal Ann Block is wonderfully spicy and expressive, with hints of blood orange and mint complementing dried strawberries. Silky and round with juicy acidity and vividly ripe wild berries, this takes on a tactile mineral tinge toward the close. It finishes long yet energetic, forcing the mouth to water as hints of raspberry and inner rose fade. Purity exemplified. What a gorgeous interpretation of Royal Ann Block.
96 points, Eric Guido, Vinous (Jan 2024)
The Royal Ann Block in the Maresh Vineyard is planted on ungrafted pinot noir vines, which perhaps helps explains some of its inherent delicacy and perfume, though no doubt Kelley Fox’s beautifully transparent winemaking style must also receive some credit for this personality trait in the wine. The 2021 version of Royal Ann Block comes in at a svelte thirteen percent alcohol and wonderfully light and luminescent in color. The bouquet is redolent of sappy red fruit, offering up scents of strawberries, raspberries, sweet beetroot, gorgeous soil tones, a hint of fresh thyme from the whole clusters, very discreet meatiness, lovely spice tones, rose petals and a gentle framing of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with beautiful depth of red fruit at the core, stunning transparency and grip, suave, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. This lovely wine is structurally available in its youth, but it is still very primary in personality and it will be an absolute crime to drink a bottle until the wine is at least ten years of age, as there is so much more waiting below the surface here for time to work its magic.
94+ points, John Gilman, View From The Cellar (Dec 2025)
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