Donelan Tripps Block Pinot Noir Mendocino 2013

Donelan Tripps Block Pinot Noir Mendocino 2013

Named after Joe Donelan’s eldest son, Tripp’s Block showcases a side of Pinot Noir not often described as “Californian.” Once a forest floor rich in decomposed organic matter, Perli Vineyard produce a rustic version of the variety, with an astonishing bouquet of baking spice, gingersnaps and potpourri and a mouth-feel framed by distinct structure. On the palate, Tripp’s Block is dense with strawberry, forest fruits and apple-crisp. Aged 18 months in approximately 30% new French Oak, this hidden gem from the forests of Mendocino Ridge is a unique parcel of the vineyard that produces a wine that is hedonistic and incomparable..

Wine Advocate:  91 points

This vintage of Tripp’s Block is so exciting to us that we want to shout about it on rooftops. This
wine is a star - the intensity of the aromatics are apparent even before the wine hits the glass. The
Perli Vineyard benefited from the low yields, producing the most concentrated
edition of this bottling to date.
On the nose, Kirsch, black cherry, and angostura bitters rise to the foreground in a new way, yet the
classic forest-floor and baking-spice components we love from this vineyard add to its background,
making the nose complex and dynamic.
The wine finishes with some of the silkiest tannins we have seen
from this site, making this vintage of Tripp’s Block one of the best
we have had the pleasure of making. 

Hidden within Mendocino’s redwood forests, Perli
Vineyard is one of the most exceptional Pinot Noir sites
we have come across. High above the fog line at 2,000
feet, Tripp’s Block is a unique parcel of the vineyard that
produces a wine that is hedonistic and incomparable.