Melville Sta. Rita Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2003

    2022 Vintage In Stock
    48 99
    OFFER 10% off your order of $99+
    Ships today if ordered in next 11 hours
    You saved this 3/18/24
    1
    Limit Reached
    You saved this 3/18/24
    Alert me about new vintages and availability

    Product Details


    Varietal

    Region

    Producer

    Vintage
    2003

    Size
    750ML

    Your Rating

    0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

    Somm Note

    Winemaker Notes

    The fruit completely drives this wine casting rich aromas of ripe, red cherries, raspberries and plum, that explode from the glass gently supported by rosemary, rose petal, and lavender nuances.

    In the mouth, thse similar flavors are expressed more generously and purely. The palate impression is plush, pliant and silky smooth, providing excellent texture and mouthfeel with a long, spicy smooth finish.

    Other Vintages

    2021
    • 94 James
      Suckling
    • 94 Robert
      Parker
    • 93 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    • 90 Wine &
      Spirits
    2020
    • 91 Robert
      Parker
    • 91 Wine &
      Spirits
    • 90 Wilfred
      Wong
    2019
    • 95 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 93 Wilfred
      Wong
    • 93 Robert
      Parker
    • 93 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    2018
    • 95 Decanter
    • 94 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    • 92 Robert
      Parker
    2017
    • 95 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 94 The Somm
      Journal
    • 94 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    • 93 Wilfred
      Wong
    • 91 Robert
      Parker
    2016
    • 92 Robert
      Parker
    • 92 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 91 Wine &
      Spirits
    • 91 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    2015
    • 93 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 91 Wine &
      Spirits
    • 90 Robert
      Parker
    • 90 Jeb
      Dunnuck
    2014
    • 94 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 93 Decanter
    • 90 Robert
      Parker
    2013
    • 93 Wine
      Enthusiast
    • 92 Robert
      Parker
    2012
    • 92 Robert
      Parker
    2011
    • 89 Wine
      Enthusiast
    2010
    • 92 Wine
      Spectator
    • 91 Robert
      Parker
    • 91 Wine
      Enthusiast
    2008
    • 91 Robert
      Parker
    Melville

    Melville

    View all products
    Melville, California
    Melville The Story of Melville Winery Video

    Melville is a family-owned, 100% estate, organic vineyard and winery in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County.

    They produce Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and a small amount of Grenache. All their wines, from the flagship Estate

    Pinot Noir to the Small Lot Collection Donna's Block Syrah, are hand-grown and hand-made 100 cases at a time.

    Their founder Ron Melville carefully selected the location of the estate for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean as well as

    the soil composition - predominantly sandy loam and diatomaceous earth with sections of clay. You can be too close

    to the ocean and struggle with getting fruit ripe, and you can also be further away and struggle with temperatures that

    are too hot...Melville is in the sweet spot.

    The Melville's have been practicing responsible farming for over three decades, and since 1997 in the Sta. Rita Hills

    when brothers Chad and Brent Melville planted the estate vineyards (before the AVA was formally established). They

    take great pride in their commitment to "winegrowing"…working in harmony with Mother Nature to nurture their land

    through organic and sustainable farming practices to ensure that all of the most crucial work is done in the vineyard.

    The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is incredibly unique for a few reasons:

    • It lies within a transverse mountain range, meaning that the mountains on either side of the valley are running

    east-to-west from the ocean rather than north-to south. This is the only transverse mountain range in North

    America.

    • It has the longest growing season in North America. The growing season starts early (bud bread in late

    February) and ends relatively late (Melville is often harvesting into late November) because they have a mild winter

    and a cold, sunny summer. This environment of consistent "cold sunshine" allows for a long, slow ripening

    and wines that showcase high acidity with ripe aromas/flavors.

    Stylistically, They choose to only use neutral wood. With the vines being 25+ years old, they have reached a maturity

    that Melville is proud of. The vines are creating the best fruit ever and they want their customers taste the flavors of Sta.

    Rita Hills and Mother Nature in their purest form.

    Stem inclusion during fermentation has been a key to Melville wines. They create aromatic lift, add tannins, and can

    bring another dimension of flavor to the palate, including savoriness and spiciness. When using stems, it is important

    to ensure they are fully ripe to avoid green, unpleasant, vegetal flavors. Fortunately, the Sta. Rita Hills' long growing

    season allows for fully ripened stems.

    Image for Pinot Noir content section
    View all products

    Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”

    Image for Sta. Rita Hills Wine Santa Barbara, California content section

    Sta. Rita Hills Wine

    Santa Barbara, California

    View all products

    A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.

    The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.

    MLWEPINOT_2003 Item# 77567

    Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
    Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

    It's easy to make the switch.
    Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

    Yes, Update Now

    Search for ""