Old Melville (Paul and Ashely's House): Color is faded plum. This has some heat on it, oh boy. This one is very spicy and the oak and stem are still hanging in there. Lots of raspberry and dried espresso. The finish reminds me of a good luxardo cherry old fashioned. Chambord liqueur comes to mind. I revisited a couple times, captured my interest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Fun Look At Some Melville With Age (At Paul's Place): Opened at Noon, served at 5PM. This may have been the wine we served at my daughter's wedding back in 2008 when she was married at Melville. We served Terraces and Carrie's that day in the reception/dinner. Man, at getting close to 20 years old, this is still drinking great. Touch stemmy with metal shavings in the aroma. The palate has a tarry/menthol note, I suspect from the whole cluster these were made with by Greg Brewer at the time. There is a fresh cinnamon stick note, too. Spicy, with tart cherry, and what Brig called 'Chambord' which was spot on. There is some astringence in the finish which I bet never leaves the wine, but it's fine. This is still a terrific Pinot Noir and doesn't seem to be fading.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second one where the cork disintegrated, but the juice inside is still very much alive. Closer scrutiny let’s you know there’s a bit of age, but nothing to indicate 13 years. For those who like earthy elements at the fore of their Pinot, they’re currently singing background while bright red cherry cola still has lead vocals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2005 Melville Terraces Pinot Noir: Retail $65. Deep and rich with really dark fruit and considerable earth and a bit of funk. Whoa that's good. Beyond really good and solidly into Whoa. Rich, really rich fruit with depth and a bit of angst. Here? Angst is a good thing. A really good thing. I am not sure where to classify this wine as it kid a contrast: big fruit and depth. Whoa. The dark very fruit and a bit of anise, shielded by eucalyptus. Whoa. 93 thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.
(Terraces) Melville Dear Friends, I will have a full report on the behind the scenes dealings at VinExpo upon my return next week but until then... Here’s a deal that was just too good to pass up. Last year’s Melville super-duo (the Carrie’s and Terraces) caused such a stir in the wine trade that it changed this winery forever from an upstart to near cult status...and that was 2004. Below, we offer the 2005s and if you are planning a 2005 red Burgundy horizontal at some point, both of the entrants below merit considerable interest as blind choices and I can’t imagine the critical verbiage when they are finally reviewed. In 2005, the Carrie’s has such an incredible perfume and texture that it’s difficult to describe - it is even more impressive than the 2004. The Terraces is a different animal altogether due to the higher percentage of stems but it is no less appealing. It’s a draw as to which is better but that’s not really the point - both are well worth your consideration: Both are EXTREMELY LIMITED at this price - 3/person maximum on each: 2005 Melville Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills “Carrie’s” 2005 Melville Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills “Terraces” Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA CA8300 CA8400
5/13/2024 - brigcampbell wrote:
Old Melville (Paul and Ashely's House): Color is faded plum. This has some heat on it, oh boy. This one is very spicy and the oak and stem are still hanging in there. Lots of raspberry and dried espresso. The finish reminds me of a good luxardo cherry old fashioned. Chambord liqueur comes to mind. I revisited a couple times, captured my interest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2024 - Frank Murray III wrote:
A Fun Look At Some Melville With Age (At Paul's Place): Opened at Noon, served at 5PM. This may have been the wine we served at my daughter's wedding back in 2008 when she was married at Melville. We served Terraces and Carrie's that day in the reception/dinner. Man, at getting close to 20 years old, this is still drinking great. Touch stemmy with metal shavings in the aroma. The palate has a tarry/menthol note, I suspect from the whole cluster these were made with by Greg Brewer at the time. There is a fresh cinnamon stick note, too. Spicy, with tart cherry, and what Brig called 'Chambord' which was spot on. There is some astringence in the finish which I bet never leaves the wine, but it's fine. This is still a terrific Pinot Noir and doesn't seem to be fading.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2018 - millerarner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second one where the cork disintegrated, but the juice inside is still very much alive. Closer scrutiny let’s you know there’s a bit of age, but nothing to indicate 13 years. For those who like earthy elements at the fore of their Pinot, they’re currently singing background while bright red cherry cola still has lead vocals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2018 - millerarner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two thumbs up. Aging gracefully and plenty of life left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2016 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 93 Points
2005 Melville Terraces Pinot Noir: Retail $65. Deep and rich with really dark fruit and considerable earth and a bit of funk. Whoa that's good. Beyond really good and solidly into Whoa. Rich, really rich fruit with depth and a bit of angst. Here? Angst is a good thing. A really good thing. I am not sure where to classify this wine as it kid a contrast: big fruit and depth. Whoa. The dark very fruit and a bit of anise, shielded by eucalyptus. Whoa. 93 thedrunkencyclist.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment