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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 11/24/2023 & rated 91 points: Wonderful wine for thanksgiving. (221 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 1/1/2021 & rated 93 points: Subsequent notes on this wine from over 5 years ago. Medium-deep ruby red in color. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & plums with spice overtones of allspice, cloves & cinnamon & floral notes, some sous-bois, earthy/dusty, minerals, cherry-cola, herbs & a slight hint of vanilla. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, rich, ripe fruit flavors of cherries, strawberries & cranberries with spice notes of cloves & cinnamon, minerals, herbs & a hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with airing but at 12 years of age, I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging. (741 views) | | | Tasted by no leashes on 12/9/2017 & rated 91 points: Fully mature and drinking well. Very enjoyable. (1381 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 11/26/2015 & rated 93 points: Medium ruby red in color. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of youthful yet complex, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries & figs with overtones of allspice, cloves & cinnamon & floral notes, hints of sous-bois, earthy, minerals, earthy, cherry-cola, dried herbs & a hint of vanilla. Medium bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, youthful, rich & lush ripe fruit flavors of sweet Bing cherries, strawberries & tart cranberries with spices of cloves & cinnamon, minerals, herbs & hints of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with extended airing and should develop further with additional aging. A stunning & delightful Pinot; well worth seeking it out. (2003 views) | | | Tasted by jonnyoro on 10/7/2014 & rated 95 points: Consistent with previous bottles- maturing nicely; perfect balance, seamless, loooong finish, tar, briar patch, rhubarb, berries, de-licit us... No rush to drink these... (2375 views) | | | Tasted by jonnyoro on 9/3/2013 & rated 93 points: Damn fine Pinot noir...pine, tar, rose, brambly, raspberry, delicious... (2761 views) | | | Tasted by cbbrown3 on 6/9/2013 & rated 94 points: The wine is a ruby red color. The enticing nose has black raspberries, earthy underbrush, minerals, baking spices, cherries, wild flowers, cola, and a touch of licorice. This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate, tart, juicy berries and sweet cherries are joined by minerals, baking spices, and some earthiness. The finish is very long and full of layers that slowly fade allowing the next wave to wash over the palate. This is an exceptional Central Coast Pinot Noir that will hold and perhaps improve over the next several years, but it it stunning today. (2488 views) | | | Tasted by MattMauldin on 3/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Dense, dark ruby color with slow-forming legs in the glass. Notes on bouquet of clove/allspice, baked fig, black cherry, cedar and hints of forest floor. The stem-driven earthiness that often shows on this bottling young has integrated, leaving a big ripe profile with bright dark cherry notes and loads of sweet and brown spice. Richly polished throughout, decent balance, and with a finely integrated structure. Spice and heat on a lengthy finish. Drink/hold. (2280 views) | | | Tasted by Bowmanifesto on 1/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Last bottle. Best bottle. Thoroughly outstanding Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Startlingly excellent in every characteristic desired from these grapes and that terroir. For we who are aficionados of expertise, not big names, this is a triumph. Impeccable quality. (1692 views) | | | Tasted by Bowmanifesto on 12/5/2012 & rated 93 points: Wow. Wow. Wow. Tasting notes same as the bottle I adored in July, but my rating improved by a point. Why? Wow. Wow. Wow. Drink now! (1436 views) | | | Tasted by Bowmanifesto on 7/22/2012 & rated 92 points: My first of these, smack in the bullseye of its life. And lively it is. Its deep, bright, garnet color, leads into a light body, with strong legs. The wine dances and shimmers in the glass as I swirl. The aromas of lingonberries, spices, herbs, oak and earth merge into a heady elixir. And the essences of black cherries, rhubarb, summer pie and licorice entrance my taste buds. The tannins are fully integrated, extending the luscious finish across the full palate. (1353 views) | | | Tasted by jonnyoro on 5/23/2011 & rated 95 points: a brambly beautiful sta. rita hills pinot noir... full bodied for a pinot, lots of herbs like sage, raspberry fruit, a dose of earthiness and mouthwatering acidity... this drinks wonderfully now and should age gracefully over the next few years- classic example of the best that sta. rita has to offer... love it! (1893 views) | | | Tasted by bruinesq84 on 2/25/2011: At first very tight, even after vinturi. After a couple of hrs opened up nicely revealing big red cherry flaovrs. Filled the mouth and nicely balanced. Will improve over the next 3-5 yrs, but nice with long decant. Defintia rebuy at $35. (1830 views) | | | Tasted by JP on 2/5/2011 & rated 93 points: This is a beautiful wine. Immediately after opening this was open and expressive, but there was a very slightly off-putting note of stems. After an hour in the decanter this note was gone, and at three hours it was at its best. Nose of very pure dark cherries and raspberries with subtle hints of forest floor and baking spices. On the palate more of the same. This is a concentrated wine, but still elegant, and the mouthfeel is wonderful. I wouldn't hesitate to open another at this time. (2512 views) | | | Tasted by slywka7 on 12/11/2010 & rated 94 points: I had the 2008 Estate Pinot Noir back in September and I loved it. It was a very feminine wine but the Terraces was more big and jammy. It had some enticing aromas of raspberry, blueberry and earth. It had a fuller body than the estate and although the alcohol was 14.5%,the wine tasted more over the 15% range. Nevertheless, this was a very nice pinot with flavors of cola, cherry, blackberry and earth. I really enjoyed this and even had a little left over for day 2 and it was just as good. (810 views) | | | Tasted by ppl on 9/19/2010: with Bishops on Pat's 65th BD-excellent as usual (2176 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Melville Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir Terraces Small Lot Collection Sta. Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. | By Allen Meadows
Burghound, October 2010, Issue #40
(Melville Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir - Terraces Villages Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Burghound. (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.
Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican 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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