In the November 2004 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine featuring American Pinot Noir, Malvolio was called one of Pinot's heavy hitters. Of the 250 Pinot Noir wines from California, two of the top six wines were Malvolio, and four were from our Arroyo Grande Valley appellation. One feature headline read "2002 South Coast Pinot Noir is best ever."

REVIEWS:
2001 MALVOLIO PINOT NOIR

The Wine Enthusiast
In the October 2004 issue of Wine Enthusiast, Steve Heimoff has this to say:

2001 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block I - 93 pts
“Wow, what a delicious Pinot. It's lusciously silky in the mouth, with great acids framing a complex array of flavors ranging from red cherries, black raspberries and oaky vanilla to Asian spices and sweet tobacco. Absolutely addictive and compelling, and shows what this vineyard is capable of.” – S.H.

2001 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block A - 92 pts
“This wonderful wine trades a bit of Block I’s seductive immediacy for a richer, darker structure you may want to cellar for a few years. The flavors suggest plums, blackberries and black cherries complexed with chocolate and coffee, but that silky Pinot texture remains alluring.” – S.H.

2001 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block F - 91 pts
“Similar to Block I, but with darker cherry, mocha, spice and oak flavors, and also a leathery, smoked meat note. Its also more tannic, and a bit closed now. Interesting how different these blocks are even in the same vineyard.” – S.H.

The Connoisseur's Guide
In the February 5, 2005 issue the Connoisseur's Guide has this to say:

2001 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block A - 91 pts
“Deep, rich and layered, this engaging effort smells of cherries, cola, clove, vanilla and hardwoods with an intriguing tang of sweet balsamic at the edge of its decidedly full bore mix. Fairly big in the mouth, but not the beamiest of the Malvolio 2001s, it is expressive from front to back and has a good sense of structure that keeps it in balance even while asking for a bit of cellar aging.”

2002 MALVOLIO PINOT NOIR

The Wine Enthusiast
In the November 2004 issue of Wine Enthusiast, Steve Heimoff has this to say:

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block A - 92 pts
“Huge, dark. Opens with beautifully ripe cherry, cola, rhubarb, oak and plum notes, with a spicy, pine needle scent. It's massive, but brilliantly balanced and opulent, with a lush, silky texture. Has plenty of tannins, and should have no problems holding and even improving over the next several years.”

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Clone 115 - 92 pts
“Opens with dramatic char, obviously lots of good new oak, with complex scents of lavender, clove, cinnamon, big time cherry pie, vanilla. Velvety, lush in the mouth. This is a powerful, dense, even brooding wine, plastered with oak, that needs long decanting or aging to show its best. Now through 2010. Another great success from this AVA.”

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Clone 667 - 89 pts
“Here's a big, rich and complex wine. It's almost Syrah-like, dark and bold in smoky, meaty, plum and chocolate flavors, but is saved by crisp acidity and a smooth silkiness. Really good, and will get better for a year or two.”

The Connoisseur's Guide
In the February 5, 2005 issue the Connoisseur's Guide has this to say:

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Clos de Laetitia Block A - 92 pts
“Sporting the same incisive themes of young varietal cherries shown by each of its mates, this particular bottling is more firmly balanced than either and, with hints of clove and cinnamon running its length, it extends a little more play to spicy oak. A bit of latter palate astringency is pushed to prominence by the wine's ample acidity, but insistent fruit remains its defining trait from front to back, and a few years of aging is guaranteed to bring increased polish and greater complexity.”

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Clone 115 - 90 pts
“Although obviously cut from the same fairly rich cloth, each member of the Malvolio clan finds its own distinctive voice. This is one of the deeper wines of the bunch, and it shows hints of leather and soil along with a good dose of compact black-cherry fruit. It is optimally ripened but does not fall victim to excessive heat or coarseness, and although it firms and tightens in the latter going, its greater gifts are yet to come, and its integral tannins and acids provide it with real potential for a half-dozen years of growth.”

2002 Malvolio Laetitia Vineyard Block F - 88 pts
“Compact, concentrated and fit with plenty of lightly smoky oak spice, this weighty youngster is at once both extracted and bright on the palate with a spry sense of lively red cherries set against touches of toffee and toast. It hesitates just a bit at the finish and gives in ever so slightly to tannin, and its closing sensations of dryness suggest that it may be the least long lived of its clan.”