Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Light raspberry-sorbet notes meet with fresh fennel fronds, pepper and cinnamon on the nose of this bottling from Chad Melville and family. It's tight and tart on the palate, with dried cranberry, pine needle and eucalyptus flavors that juxtapose with the more fruit-driven nose.
-
Decanter
Dry, intense strawberries and red cherries meld together with an almost feral leathery scent. The fruit is taught and modern, and ends on a cool, refreshing, lingering finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Spice box, wild herbs, black currants and black cherry notes all emerge from this nicely fruited, plump, mouth-filling 2014 Pinot Noir Estate, which has present tannin and a solid finish.
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.”
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.