Winemaker Notes
This block has always been very distinctly Melville with a cold climate, sandy soil, and a long, sunny growing season working together to make Syrah magic. A blueberry and boysenberry core is studded with white pepper, olive brine, apricot, dried flowers and crispy bacon with loads of ripe tannin wrapped in a rope of acidity. This finish on this wine lingers for days. Make no mistake, this is Melville Syrah.
Vegan-Friendly
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The single most impressive wine of the Meville roster is the spectacular 2023 Syrah Donna's Block, which I found to be one of the finest renditions of the variety produced in Santa Barbara County. It opens with an immediately transfixing bouquet that reads like a laundry list of textbook Syrah aromas: black and blue fruits, lavender, violets, cracked pepper and boot polish, all enlivened by marine overtones and delivered with crystalline purity. The palate is dense and sumptuous yet equally finessed and ethereal, seamlessly releasing into a striking, sophisticated finish propelled by vibrant acidity and staining richness that remains in perfect equilibrium with fruit intensity, structural refinement and savory undertones. This is fabulous already, and I cannot wait to follow its evolution.
Rating: 96+ -
James Suckling
A smooth, delicious wine, layered with soft tannins, baked fruit and warm spice notes. Full-bodied and polished, offering blackberry-jam and blueberry-pie flavors with light pepper and woodsmoke nuances.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.