Winemaker Notes
Melanson’s dark fruits saturate the palate, which is to us a hallmark of great Pritchard Hill Cabernets. This is one of the wines of the vintage for Matt. Profound nose of black fruits, figs, walnuts, violets licorice and exotic spices, great minerality, with huge mountain density and structure and a magnificent, sumptuous core, freshly crushed blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries, cassis and aniseed with compelling nuances of black tea, cigar box, truffles and charcuterie, plus, with coaxing, gentle wafts of red roses and crushed rocks emerge. The medium to full-bodied palate is simply arresting, offering a myriad of floral and earth sparks amidst a black fruit core and with seamless, firm, very fine-grained tannins. Well-knit freshness brings forth layer after layer of delicate nuances on the very long, mineral-laced finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 TOR Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon shows exceptional depth and energy. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of lush, ripe black fruits that are lasting and bright. Enjoy it with a grilled ribeye topped with minced shallots. (Tasted: February 20, 2020, Yountville, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Greg Melanson’s vineyard on Pritchard Hill is very steep, with rows running up and down the hill directly across from Colgin Winery. Beyond Colgin, its rocky face looks down at Napa Valley’s floor. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard offers a super-intense nose of warm cassis, blackberry pie, fresh blueberries and mulberries with touches of Ceylon tea, rose hips, asphalt and wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid line of firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the vibrant, fresh black and blue fruits, finishing long and earthy.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Crème de cassis, spice box, leafy herbs, tobacco, truffle, and earthy notes all emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard, another powerful, full-bodied wine. Coming from a site just across from Colgin and all Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in barrel, it's a rich, mouth filling, powerful wine that has big shoulders, ripe tannins, and the capacity to keep for 20-25 years. Rating: 94+
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.