2022 Neely Pinot Noir 'Picnic Block'

100% Pinot Noir (Dijon clone 777) from the lowest block on the estate. Hand harvested, hand sorted, and fermented with native yeasts in steel. Aged for 10 months in 15% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur additions. 13.8% alcohol. 133 cases made. A generous nose of ripe raspberry and tobacco leaf lead into the lithe palate displaying rainier cherry coulis and bright acidity. Chewy ripe tannins round out the long and intense finish. Decant now or cellar for enjoyment over the next 7-10 years. Neely is a bit of a hidden gem in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, albeit with some serious pedigree. Set across 240 acres with just 16 acres planted close to the town of Portola Valley, the Neely family has owned this place since 1995, their Spring Ridge Vineyard originally planted in 1980 by the Varner brothers to Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.  

96 points, Jeb Dunnuck. "Sourced from another of the estate's block-designates, the 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Spring Ridge Vineyard Picnic Block is perhaps the most perfumed and floral on the nose, while also offering a dark, brooding texture and a purity of red fruit along the lines of wild strawberry and pomegranate. The secondary characteristics play in the realm of forest and tea, with fine-grained tannins providing support without distraction. This should age well another 8-10 years."