Mac Forbes Ferguson ‘Block 3’ Pinot Noir 2019 from the Ferguson vineyard in Woori Yallock is a tiny‑production, black‑label single‑block wine that’s all about depth, focus and serious cellar potential. Planted on a ridge line in the middle of the hill, Block 3 is Mac’s favourite parcel on the site – a genuine “creature unto itself” that sits above the already‑elite Ferguson bottling.

In the glass it shows a deeper garnet colour and a more brooding profile than the village wines: dark plum, black cherry and wild berries wrapped in floral notes, sous‑bois, spice and a strong sense of soil‑driven structure. The palate is concentrated yet precise, youthful and tightly coiled, with intense dark fruit, savoury earth and spice, and firm but very fine tannins that mark it out as a wine needing a decade+ to really hit its stride.

This is a bottle to serve with serious dishes – think roast duck or goose, lamb rump, venison or truffled mushroom dishes – and to decant well ahead of time if you’re opening it now. Given its minuscule production, mailing‑list‑only release and the way Mac talks about it, Ferguson Block 3 Pinot Noir 2019 is very much a collector’s Upper Yarra Pinot, built on perfume, soil structure and longevity rather than easy early plushness.