Winemaker Notes
Light ruby in color, lively and vivid aromatics of violets, just ripe black cherry, cranberry compote and briny orange waft from the glass. In the background, herbal notes of dusty rosemary and dried black tea leaf weave alongside impressions of apple blossom and a hint of nori. The mouthfeel is polished with soft, bright acidity and focused, silky tannins on the finish that add gorgeous earthy components and complexity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Fresh and open aromas of strawberry sorbet, pomegranate and plum draw the nose into this bottling, but it’s the black-tea and dewy pine needle aspects that hold the attention. Tremendous energy bursts forth on the sip, full of incense and forest herbs that bolster the delicious wild, just plucked cherry and other red-fruit flavors. Editors’ Choice.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base appellation release from this estate always seems to deliver the goods and the 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Sta. Rita Hills is no exception. Bright Rainier Cherry, sea salt, white flowers, and spice all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a silky, elegant texture, soft tannins, and just a wonderful finish. I’d happily drink a bottle.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with 40% whole clusters, the 2019 Pinot Noir Estate has a pale ruby-purple color and pretty scents of cranberries, strawberries and wild blackberries, with nuances of forest floor, dried orange peel and licorice. Medium-bodied, it’s rounded and fresh with spicy berry fruits and a long, bitters-tinged finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Melville Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a Sta. Rita Hills classic. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings aromas and flavors of brown stems, dried fruit, red fruit, and other earthly delights. Pair this wine with garlic, rosemary, and black peppercorn-infused roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: September 29, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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.