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All tasting notes
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2014 (based on 78 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 25 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by S.Wayne on 12/3/2022 & rated 90 points: Medium gold with bright reflections
Aromatics medium. Butterscotch. Oak spice. Brief petrol. Secondary of yellow apples
Palate has medium + body. Round mouthfeel. Acid medium +. Mild phenolics. Alcohol medium +, bordering high. Spice, curry leaf, bruised yellow apple.
Finish has medium + length. Balanced despite the alcohol given acid
Dry glass notes of oak spice
No further aging potential as fruit is fading, but still quite nice and complex. (167 views) | | | Tasted by dsamuel on 11/30/2022 & rated 91 points: Medium gold color with amber tint
Medium aromas of butterscotch/ candied apple but dominated by medium plus oak spices
Palate is so energetic and just bursting with ripe fruit - what a contrast to the nose!
Medium plus brisk acidity and medium plus alcohol with a long finish due to the bright fruit nature and the excellent acidity - no evidence of oxidation here
Purchased from the winery as a cellar selection - this is really showing some aging capability from SB Chardonnay - my only complaint is the alcohol level but the acidity does a good job of keeping this in check (178 views) | | | Tasted by champagneandchablis on 8/31/2020 & rated 94 points: Very impressed with this 12 year old chardonnay. Citrus flavors complimented by some tropical notes of pineapple. Holding up very well with a rich golden hue but not at all oxidized. I'd say a couple years of life left but peaked in a glorious fashion. Acid is pronounced and the balance here is superb. (393 views) | | | Tasted by GTFreek on 7/28/2020: Thought this might have developed into something very interesting, but pretty classic CA Chard, acidity does well at the finish. Not my style though. (428 views) | | | Tasted by mwneil on 8/11/2018 & rated 93 points: Amazing find at Wolfgang Puck restaurant in AC, 2008 wow, complex, golden color, 14.9% alcohol; a touch of wood, it has aged beautifully, $66, drank with pizza and salad, probably won’t find again. (804 views) | | | Tasted by Nursing a Hangover on 11/23/2017 & rated 82 points: Ehh. More alcohol and oak (985 views) | | | Tasted by mwneil on 4/18/2014 & rated 93 points: VG white wine; Oak was beautifully integrated with the fruit; great balance and complex; nice nose and beautiful color - golden; only downside is very high alcohol of 14.9%; enjoyed wine with lobster tails; would drink again; the wine has aged well; (1898 views) | | | Tasted by jonnyoro on 6/30/2013 flawed bottle: Explosive cork, completely oxidized wine- closure failure. (2015 views) | | | Tasted by jonnyoro on 6/30/2013 & rated 94 points: Ah that's more like it... Tropical, pineapple, orange peel, tart mouthwatering acidity... Nice mouth feel and crisp... (2046 views) | | | Tasted by bbcc66 on 3/3/2012 & rated 69 points: Was flat & tasteless. Dumped it after two glasses. We likely got a bad bottle. (2335 views) | | | Tasted by rsbeck on 1/23/2012 & rated 91 points: Enjoyable Chard with quite a bit going on; wood spice, tart acidity, moderate tropical fruit, some white flowers. Has come together nicely. (2448 views) | | | Tasted by Rich S on 9/4/2011 & rated 89 points: Light yellow color. Not a whole lot on the nose with just some citrus notes coming through. The wine seemed a bit thin on the palate at first but picked up a little weight as it warmed up. Some nice vanilla, pear and citrus flavors on the palate with good acidity. A little hot on the back end. Enjoyable overall but would not rebuy. (1597 views) | | | Tasted by BYOB on 5/22/2011 & rated 89 points: Light yellow in color, citrus and vanilla notes. (1753 views) | | | Tasted by Nursing a Hangover on 4/17/2011 & rated 87 points: great acidity and fruit but I found more oak than I remembered when tasted at the tasting room. (1693 views) | | | Tasted by HRT on 12/9/2010: Light straw color. Citrus fruit on the nose. Sharp citrus with brisk acidity on the palate. Not much oak but could use some. The Verna is far superior at a cheaper price. (1874 views) | | | Tasted by brigcampbell on 9/28/2010 & rated 85 points: Danny's Solvang Trip; 9/24/2010-9/29/2010 (Slovang): Maybe I'm missing the boat on this one but I can't give it a big score.
C: very light straw
N: Lemon/Pear
P: LOTS of acidity, too much
F: acid punishing the throat (4026 views) | | | Tasted by royalscam on 9/28/2010 & rated 90 points: Inviting nose citrus and light apple; palate is a mix of lime, apple and slight honey, tad acidity especially on the finish which lingers for a while. Definitely more acid than fruity but possibly in a weird phase at this time; looking for a better balance to warrant higher score. Addendum: Stand corrected this wine needed time to mellow out; lost acidity over 24 hours which argues for given it more time; definitely more balanced and warranting at least a solid 90 or better. (2041 views) | | | Tasted by slywka7 on 9/12/2010 & rated 91 points: I liked this very much. Nice touch of oak with tropical fruit flavors. (577 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 9/3/2010 & rated 90 points: Melville Winery Tasting (Melville winery tasting room): Tasted at the winery. Light yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of matchstick, kumquat and pear. Flavors of pear, orange and apricot. Medium acidity, medium body. Drink over the short term. 90 (2516 views) | | | Tasted by tcfishler on 8/11/2010: Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA): Predictably, this is lower toned than the Inox, with the emphasis on pineapple/melon fruit and a piney nuance in addition to the relatively obvious oak that shows through with some cinnamon. Broad, even a touch fat; you can definitely feel the loss of some of that malic acid. (2648 views) | | | Tasted by hapabuddha on 1/6/2010 & rated 90 points: smooth, buttery finish...slight oak and vanilla. well balanced for acitity and structure.
nice legs, great nose, fruit forward...well worth the price of admission. (2278 views) |
| 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.
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeEstateIn 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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