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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 20 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 10/6/2023 & rated 93 points: Friday dinner meetup at Hertford. Thick wax seal cork closure. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark green olives, black olive tapenade, meat, dark red cherries. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium acidity, high alcohol (15%), smooth fine high tannins, sneaky full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of peppery spices, sweet plums, dark red cherries, dark green and black olives. Long spicy peppery finish.
Very good quality. Was well received by the audience. Good that it has classic Syrah varietal characteristics, and not a fruit bomb considering the scary 15% alcohol on the label. Acidity sensation could be better. Likely at peak as good as it gets already. Drink and enjoy.
Grown on sandy soils and 100% whole bunches used. (437 views) | | | Tasted by Gonzo’s grape juice on 10/11/2022 & rated 92 points: Bought at the pickup party and drank that night with Italian food. Plenty left. Beautiful aromas of dried fruit, bacon grease and smoked paprika. Tastes of black ripe fruit and perfectly ripe tannins. Glad I bought another. I won’t wail to long to drink it. (445 views) | | | Tasted by TallMikeWine on 5/4/2022 & rated 94 points: Wow....great stuff! But drink up! (509 views) | | | Tasted by mflesh on 3/6/2020 & rated 93 points: Really nice Syrah. Sweet dark black cherry and violet nose and front. The middle is dark and where some of the pepper starts to come into play. The finish is black pepper and jerky and has a savory kind of character yet the wine overall is smooth and balanced and definitely more to the fruit side, not the meat side. Still quite young with a ton of life left, but with this drinking so well now, why wait? (1455 views) | | | Tasted by DanielJ on 12/7/2019 & rated 94 points: This is really good. Great depth of flavor deep red fruit. Cherry. (1250 views) | | | Tasted by royalscam on 4/16/2018 & rated 95 points: An absolutely outstanding Syrah from the central coast, Santa Rita Hills. Powerful and balanced fruit, a mouthful. I has got some life left. (1821 views) | | | Tasted by royalscam on 1/13/2018 & rated 95 points: Truly outstanding. Fruit forward and well integrated. Impeccable balance and complexity. I don't believe I've ever had a bad bottle of Melville made wine. Their Pinot Noirs are across the board consistent, reliable and a pleasure to drink! (1744 views) | | | Tasted by danielolson06 on 12/27/2016 & rated 96 points: This is a truly special Syrah. The interesting thing here is when I think Syrah, I think bold color with a richness that makes it like a black/purple hue. This is a little lighter in color, but believe me... this flavor is BOLD. Its very smoky and has this amazing texture that just fills the mouth with intense flavor of peat that is offset by a near perfect sweetness... very much reminiscent of boysenberry (with some tartness). To me this is Syrah perfection/nirvana. (3139 views) | | | Tasted by Matt Scott on 12/10/2016 & rated 96 points: Char Siu pork, lavender, stewed cherries, Roobios tea, sun-drenched earth and leather. Exceptionally long and a solid flow of radiant fruit prevails. A terroir-driven, Central-California Syrah with so much personality and distinction. Enchanting layers of microfiber tannins and thru the meridians of fruit, there is a definite balance and acidity. She is absolutely addicting. This deserves to be in the pantheon. Drink 2019 - 2034. (2868 views) |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Santa Barbara: On the Road, Continued... (Sep 2016) (9/1/2016)
(Melville Syrah Donna's Central Coast) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Melville Producer web site
In 1989, Melville Vineyards, a family owned and operated enterprise was founded in Sonoma County's Knights Valley, where Ron Melville grew high quality, much sought after Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1996, Ron's desire to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought Melville Vineyards to Lompoc's Sta. Rita Hills, located in the western Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation is where Ron Melville and his sons Brent and Chad Melville decided to develop their estate vineyards and winery. Since then, they have also developed an interest in Rhone varietals, particularly Northern Rhone Syrah and Viognier. The Melville estate achieves quality through the integrity of its farming practice and its respect to the microclimate.
Syrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. EstateIn the United States, "Wines with “estate bottled” designations must: a) also designate an appellation of origin or an AVA, and both the vineyards and the winery must be located there; b) the grapes must come from vineyards owned or controlled by the winery; and c) the wine must have been produced, from crush to bottle, in a continuous process without leaving the winery’s premises."
- WINE LABEL FAQS: A QUICK SUMMARY OF LABEL DESIGNATION RULES" by David E. StollUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA Wikipedia |
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