Melville Sta. Rita Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2021
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine &
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The aromatics instantly permeate the glass with rose petals, ripe red plums, cloves, and orange zest. When tasting, the flavors of Bing Cherry, raspberry and blackberry race over the entire palate and are followed by black tea and tarragon. A harmonious backbone of silky tannins and energetic acidity give this wine real verve.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Estate has alluring aromas of cranberry and orange jelly, forest floor and Angostura bitters. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with waves of juicy berry fruit supported by fine, chalky tannins, and it finishes long and layered.
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James Suckling
A racy and fine red with dried strawberry and citrus with a smoky undertone and hints of cedar. Some smoke and rose stems. Medium-bodied with crunchy and bright fruit. Fine and delicate tannins. Energetic finish. Spices at the end. White pepper.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Sta. Rita Hills shows the more classic style of this estate today and is unquestionably a qualitative match for a top Premier Cru from Burgundy, albeit at about a fraction of the cost. Translucent ruby, with a gorgeous nose of peppery red and black cherry fruits as well as spring flowers, baking spices, and subtle briny, marine-like nuances, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, an elegant, lively mouthfeel, supple tannins, and perfectly integrated acidity.
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Wine & Spirits
Red fruited and youthful, this is a lean, acid-driven pinot with cranberry and pomegranate scents. With rooibos spice overlaying currant flavors, this is a lively wine for an unagi bento box.
Other Vintages
2020-
Robert
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Wine &
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Dunnuck -
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Dunnuck -
Wilfred
Wong -
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Parker
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Parker -
Wine &
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Wine &
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Enthusiast - Decanter
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Parker
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Robert
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Parker
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Robert
Parker
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.
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.