A new winery that was created by Full Pull Wines founder, Paul Zitarelli, and superstar winemaker (Two Vintners) Morgan Lee, Block Wines are not to be missed. Each wine under the Block label is a partnership among a grower, a winemaker, and Paul Zitarelli.
Morgan Lee, of Two Vintners, is one of the great talents in Washington wine. His new releases from Block Wines showcase his wonderful range of winemaking, as he has a stronghold on everything from Semillon to Syrah. Block Wines is a project winery that looked to produce single varietal wines that come from a single block of a single vineyard. The inaugural Block Wines was a 2014 Semillon from Boushey Vineyard's Tauro Block and a 2014 Chenin Blanc from Rothrock Vineyard's Block V10.
These were some very serious new release wines. I was hugely impressed with what Morgan Lee did with his 2015 white releases — which was a vintage marked by heat spikes and a record early harvest. He certainly had these wines picked at the right time. Both the 2015 Block Wines ‘Tauro Block Boushey Vineyard’ Semillon (WWB, 91) and the 2015 Block Wines ‘Gnarl Block Rothrock Vineyard’ Chenin Blanc (WWB, 91) were simply awesome and mineral driven white wines that showed wonderful texture and poise in this user-hot vintage.
Even more impressive were Morgan’s red wine releases. The 2015 Block Wines ‘Ankleroller Block Stoney Vine Vineyard’ Syrah (WWB, 93) was a stunner, with a gorgeous complex bouquet and a silky mouthfeel. Just as good was the 2015 Block Wines ‘Golden Block Boushey Vineyard’ Grenache (WWB, 93) which was feminine, pretty and downright sexy. Here are the new releases by Full Pull Wines.
2015 Block Wines 'Tauro Block Boushey Vineyard' Semillon- This ripe and golden hued wine begins with aromatics that remind me of white raisin, Welches white grape juice, nectarine and suggestions of baking spices. The palate has lovely weight and texture, displaying flavors of ripe pear, cantaloupe, green papaya and even hints of candied mango. The texture and mouthfeel is absolutely gorgeous as this also displays some crisp acidity despite the heat of the vintage. This is an outstanding effort by superstar winemaker Morgan Lee. Drink 2017-2023- 91
2015 Block Wines 'Gnarl Block Rothrock Vineyard' Chenin Blanc- The Chenin Blanc wine opens with aromatics of wet stone, white peach, orange blossom and suggestions of honeydew melon. Showing some nice poise on the palate, there are ripe flavors of Pazzaz apple, cantaloupe, pear and nutmeg all leading to a creamy finish that lingers. This is another exceptional bottling from a challenging vintage for white wines. Drink 2017-2022- 91
2014 Block Wines 'Discovery Vineyard Block 1' Cabernet- This extremely dense cored wine begins with aromatics of red cherry, red bell pepper, white pepper, and blackberry jam. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, sagebrush and cassis. This has wonderful mid-palate weight and balance. The texture on the tongue is smooth, as the finish lingers nicely. This structured Cabernet will cellar beautifully for at least another decade. Drink 2017-2018- 91
2015 Block Wines 'Golden Block Boyshey Vineyard' Grenache- Sourced from one of the great vineyards in Washington state, this Grenache offers pretty aromatics of rose petals, black tea, red cherry cough syrup and red raspberry preserves. There are bright flavors of red cherry pie, red raspberry, guava purée, Mandarin orange rind and umami elements. With a rich and polished texture and strong minerality, this is pretty serious Grenache. Drink 2017-2026- 93
2015 Block Wines 'Ankleroller Block Stoney Vine Vineyard' Syrah- Funky and aromatically intense, there are rich aromatics reminiscent of smoked pork shoulder, black olive, bacon fat, black cherry and creosote. This leads to ripe flavors of black cherry, black tea, seaweed, black truffle oil and suggestions of Satsuma orange. This shows impressive weight and poise in this hot vintage. This is just a wonderful wine from The Rocks District crafted by Morgan Lee. Drink 2017-2026- 93
2015 Puget Purveyors Cabernet- This inky colored Cabernet wine opens with aromatics of black cherry, black raspberry, smoke and suggestions of blackberry cobbler. There are flavors of blackberry, black cherry, coffee grounds and baking spices. This has wonderful mid-palate viscosity and texture. Drink 2017-2024- 90