Decanted for about 30 minutes, consumed over several hours. Drinking great, wide open aromas with a refined, mostly resolved palate impression.
Blueberry, olive tapenade, roasted poblanos, basil oil, floral incense, and pepper. Complete, complex aromas, amplified. Mid-weight, fresh, with sculpted mid-palate, concentrated blue fruit and garrigue flavors, silky with fine sandy tannins. Medium acidity. Long finish with a subtle amaro-like bitterness complementing the blue fruit and savory inner aromas.
Will continue to age on balance, hold if you prefer more tertiary, savory character, though I love how the fruit is playing off the other elements at this stage. This was my only bottle, sadly, though timed it well for my taste. A consummate cool climate Syrah of terroir, an honest expression of place and variety that really only can come from this producer and vineyard.
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One off ($36.99) from the big box winestore about 5 years ago. On the nose and palate, PEPPER, PEPPER and more PEPPER—black, white and green—and sharp elbowed acidity, pulling back over a couple of hours to reveal earthy minerality, underbrush, sage, lavendar, bacon fat, blackberry paste, saline, blood, sherry and a light note of dark florals. Dark purple with a slight hint of brown, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Intense acidity, medium+ tannins, no heat, but that slight boozy note from the sherry note. Tremendous intensity, VG++ persistence, VG complexity. My first Melville purchase outside of a restaurant—and my first non-pinot—this came out of the bottle like a four alarm fire, profoundly but not unpleasingly angular, with the acidity pretty much leading everything else around by the nose. This probably hit a peak for me after a couple of hours, when most of the intensity remained, but more of the other elements peaked through, giving the wine a more or less balanced, if not necessarily completely integrated feeling. If you feel bitten by the snake venom from the likes of SQN, Saxum, et al, this cool climate syrah just might be your antidote, and while I can’t say whether this is more Cote Rotie, Crozes Hermitage (or Cornas or St. Joseph, for that matter), it’s more of any of those things than it is of its Paso neighbors. On night 2, this really did integrate, becoming more harmonious, but just a bit less interesting, then flattened out on night 3, indicating that while air benefits this, it can also be too much of a good thing. This was a really good food wine, especially on night #1, when it was definitely better with food—grilled pork tenderloin—than without, and also excellent on night #2 with stuffed pasillas. More fruit, even if below the firehose levels of SQN, would have elevated this for me, but this still punches at or above its weight, based on what I paid for it. Where it is in its drinking window is a function, IMO, of how you like your wines, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with opening now and aerating to your preferences. Among CA syrahs I drink, this seems closest, if a cut below in quality, to some of Keplinger’s cuvees, good solid company, even if I’m below CT, for a change, and the pro scores. 92+
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When a wine takes you to a place and time that you have previously drank it with only one sip. If one like Melville’s Syrah this is one of the jewels. Putting the price aside this wine speaks to place and time more than any other wine I regularly drink. Factor in that this wine is about $65 landed cost in IL. Hands down one of my favorites and best price per pour…
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Decanted for an hour. Glorious fruit and suave, almost starchy tannins, with this back grip that remains enthralling. Blueberry, baked earth, olive tapenade, freesia and Oolong tea. The finish carries on without effort, with a sensual quality. The body is full. Drink now - 2032.
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Full bodied without being too heavy, this Syrah has smoky, bell pepper notes and a savory finish. An excellent wine that paired perfectly with sausage pizza.
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Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 3 *shared* bottles] from 04/19/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: RIPE, JAMMY berries (blks), poss plums, with undertones of oak & geraniums, poss pyrazines?
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by just a BIT of astringent pucker which quite resolves by the LONG, spicy finish with a TANGY/swtness (60:40) to the innocuous, very, VERY fine tannins. For now (IF one tolerates acidity), should improve through '19, then drink through '23. Stylistic, but NICELY done within that genre. My EXC-/EXC, trending towards the EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), 93 WS, and 92+ WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
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Syrahs: 5 CA & 1 WA (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: FRAGRANT, RIPE berries (rest tough to parse)
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which PRETTY much resolves by the LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the few dusty tannins. For now & the next 4 yrs, + MAY improve a bit through '19. NICELY done, but I agree with budosyu that it seems to be lacking... something. Nonetheless, my EXC-/EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), 93 WS, and 92+ WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: Had ≈2+ hrs in a small tasting glass before I got to it. Also, may or may NOT be from the same bottle VINNUT tasted.
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Deep, dark, inky & opaque, purple garnet in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of spice notes of pepper & earthy/dusty notes, floral notes of violets, dried herbs, minerals with a slight hint of vanilla notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, minerals & a slight hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting and extended airing, but will definitely benefit from much needed additional aging.
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Syrahs: 4 CA (Central Coast) & 2 WA (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: RIPE, smoky, with hints of pyrazines? Rest unparsable; Intensity lufking
P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish frt firmed by an acidity which pretty much defines the wine into & through the LONG, BALANCED finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the inoffensive tannins. A stalwart wine for now & the ff 3-4 yrs. My EXC-/EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), and 92+ WA. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: For whatever reason, a DECIDEDLY *different* wine than when tasted on 12/1/2018, budosyu being in agreement with me.
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Winebar [4 Whites, 9 Reds, & 5 *shared* bottles] from 11/30/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
P: Med body; NICE "frt" (the medicinal note coats it) met by a puckerish astringency which evolves into a LONG, astringent finish with hints of swtness to come. NEEDS through '21 on the CHANCE it might come together? Won't rate, but LOOKS like I'm in the *distinct* minority on this one. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), and 92+ WA. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Addendum: For whatever reason, a DECIDEDLY *different* wine than when tasted on 12/15/2018 & 3/23/2019, budosyu being in agreement with me. [I could add 04/20/2019 to that as well.] ;)
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Enjoyed a bottle I brought home from their tasting room. Just like my previous note, big nose on this wine. Blackberry, black cherry, some earthiness. This wine needs some time to open up, but once it does it’s a nice full body Syrah, pepper and spice, definitely some juicy fruit at this young age. This wine is a great value under $50.
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Very good Syrah. Enjoyed a bottled at their tasting room in Santa Barbara. Powerful nose of earth, grass, black fruit. Pepper and some fruit. Impressed.
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3/31/2024 - Cabfrancophile Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for about 30 minutes, consumed over several hours. Drinking great, wide open aromas with a refined, mostly resolved palate impression.
Blueberry, olive tapenade, roasted poblanos, basil oil, floral incense, and pepper. Complete, complex aromas, amplified. Mid-weight, fresh, with sculpted mid-palate, concentrated blue fruit and garrigue flavors, silky with fine sandy tannins. Medium acidity. Long finish with a subtle amaro-like bitterness complementing the blue fruit and savory inner aromas.
Will continue to age on balance, hold if you prefer more tertiary, savory character, though I love how the fruit is playing off the other elements at this stage. This was my only bottle, sadly, though timed it well for my taste. A consummate cool climate Syrah of terroir, an honest expression of place and variety that really only can come from this producer and vineyard.
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8/29/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
One off ($36.99) from the big box winestore about 5 years ago. On the nose and palate, PEPPER, PEPPER and more PEPPER—black, white and green—and sharp elbowed acidity, pulling back over a couple of hours to reveal earthy minerality, underbrush, sage, lavendar, bacon fat, blackberry paste, saline, blood, sherry and a light note of dark florals. Dark purple with a slight hint of brown, medium to full bodied, thick legs. Intense acidity, medium+ tannins, no heat, but that slight boozy note from the sherry note. Tremendous intensity, VG++ persistence, VG complexity. My first Melville purchase outside of a restaurant—and my first non-pinot—this came out of the bottle like a four alarm fire, profoundly but not unpleasingly angular, with the acidity pretty much leading everything else around by the nose. This probably hit a peak for me after a couple of hours, when most of the intensity remained, but more of the other elements peaked through, giving the wine a more or less balanced, if not necessarily completely integrated feeling. If you feel bitten by the snake venom from the likes of SQN, Saxum, et al, this cool climate syrah just might be your antidote, and while I can’t say whether this is more Cote Rotie, Crozes Hermitage (or Cornas or St. Joseph, for that matter), it’s more of any of those things than it is of its Paso neighbors. On night 2, this really did integrate, becoming more harmonious, but just a bit less interesting, then flattened out on night 3, indicating that while air benefits this, it can also be too much of a good thing. This was a really good food wine, especially on night #1, when it was definitely better with food—grilled pork tenderloin—than without, and also excellent on night #2 with stuffed pasillas. More fruit, even if below the firehose levels of SQN, would have elevated this for me, but this still punches at or above its weight, based on what I paid for it. Where it is in its drinking window is a function, IMO, of how you like your wines, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with opening now and aerating to your preferences. Among CA syrahs I drink, this seems closest, if a cut below in quality, to some of Keplinger’s cuvees, good solid company, even if I’m below CT, for a change, and the pro scores. 92+
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3/9/2023 - JohnSh wrote: flawed
Brought this to a tasting, and most agreed it was off in some way. Quite nasty flavours - mercaptans?
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9/2/2021 - brian_r93 Likes this wine: 95 Points
When a wine takes you to a place and time that you have previously drank it with only one sip. If one like Melville’s Syrah this is one of the jewels. Putting the price aside this wine speaks to place and time more than any other wine I regularly drink. Factor in that this wine is about $65 landed cost in IL. Hands down one of my favorites and best price per pour…
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12/12/2020 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour. Glorious fruit and suave, almost starchy tannins, with this back grip that remains enthralling. Blueberry, baked earth, olive tapenade, freesia and Oolong tea. The finish carries on without effort, with a sensual quality. The body is full. Drink now - 2032.
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8/2/2019 - 1kuhlman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full bodied without being too heavy, this Syrah has smoky, bell pepper notes and a savory finish. An excellent wine that paired perfectly with sausage pizza.
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4/20/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 3 *shared* bottles] from 04/19/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: RIPE, JAMMY berries (blks), poss plums, with undertones of oak & geraniums, poss pyrazines?
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by just a BIT of astringent pucker which quite resolves by the LONG, spicy finish with a TANGY/swtness (60:40) to the innocuous, very, VERY fine tannins. For now (IF one tolerates acidity), should improve through '19, then drink through '23. Stylistic, but NICELY done within that genre. My EXC-/EXC, trending towards the EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), 93 WS, and 92+ WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
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3/23/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Syrahs: 5 CA & 1 WA (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: FRAGRANT, RIPE berries (rest tough to parse)
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which PRETTY much resolves by the LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the few dusty tannins. For now & the next 4 yrs, + MAY improve a bit through '19. NICELY done, but I agree with budosyu that it seems to be lacking... something. Nonetheless, my EXC-/EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), 93 WS, and 92+ WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: Had ≈2+ hrs in a small tasting glass before I got to it. Also, may or may NOT be from the same bottle VINNUT tasted.
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3/23/2019 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark, inky & opaque, purple garnet in color. Full, forward & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of spice notes of pepper & earthy/dusty notes, floral notes of violets, dried herbs, minerals with a slight hint of vanilla notes in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, herbs, minerals & a slight hint of vanilla. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting and extended airing, but will definitely benefit from much needed additional aging.
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12/15/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Syrahs: 4 CA (Central Coast) & 2 WA (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: RIPE, smoky, with hints of pyrazines? Rest unparsable; Intensity lufking
P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish frt firmed by an acidity which pretty much defines the wine into & through the LONG, BALANCED finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the inoffensive tannins. A stalwart wine for now & the ff 3-4 yrs. My EXC-/EXC. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), and 92+ WA. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Note: For whatever reason, a DECIDEDLY *different* wine than when tasted on 12/1/2018, budosyu being in agreement with me.
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12/1/2018 - srh Does not like this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 9 Reds, & 5 *shared* bottles] from 11/30/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Equal parts clone 1 & Estrella clone planted atop 20 ft of sand in the NE section of the vyd; "Fermented with 100% whole clusters in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin & stem contact averaging 30 days (a 7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation, & 1+ week extended maceration). Aged in neutral, FR oak barrels (10-20 year old)." 584 cs
N: INTENSE (budosyu feels medicinal) aromas, atop (poss) lingonberries?
P: Med body; NICE "frt" (the medicinal note coats it) met by a puckerish astringency which evolves into a LONG, astringent finish with hints of swtness to come. NEEDS through '21 on the CHANCE it might come together? Won't rate, but LOOKS like I'm in the *distinct* minority on this one. 96 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 95 ea Wine & Spirits and WE @ $46, 94 Vinous (Galloni), and 92+ WA. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]
Addendum: For whatever reason, a DECIDEDLY *different* wine than when tasted on 12/15/2018 & 3/23/2019, budosyu being in agreement with me. [I could add 04/20/2019 to that as well.] ;)
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11/30/2018 - wdcwineguys wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed a bottle I brought home from their tasting room. Just like my previous note, big nose on this wine. Blackberry, black cherry, some earthiness. This wine needs some time to open up, but once it does it’s a nice full body Syrah, pepper and spice, definitely some juicy fruit at this young age. This wine is a great value under $50.
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11/4/2018 - wdcwineguys wrote: 92 Points
Very good Syrah. Enjoyed a bottled at their tasting room in Santa Barbara. Powerful nose of earth, grass, black fruit. Pepper and some fruit. Impressed.
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10/22/2018 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
An amazing blast of pepper balanced by black fruit. Quite special
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