Melville Syrah Donna's Sta. Rita Hills 2018

Viticulture

Donna's block is planted atop twenty feet of sand in the northeast section of our vineyard and is composed of equal parts clone 1 and Estrella clone.

Vinification

Fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged in neutral barrels, this wine provides vividly enhanced aromatics and structure making it demonstrative of the extremely cold climate of the site on which it is grown. The fruit was fermented in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters with total skin and stem contact averaged 35 days (7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation and 1+ week extended maceration). From the basket press, the wine was transferred directly into neutral French oak barrels where it remained sur lie before being prepared for bottling in March 2020.

Tasting notes

Deep indigo in color, intense and rich aromatics of Chinese five-spice, dark cocoa bean and smoked sea salt come through initially. In the background, dense notes of blueberry compote, beef yakitori and porcini mushroom mingle with softer floral hints of violets and lavender. The wine displays tremendous concentration and balance on the palate with fine, dusty tannins that frame a powerful and lengthy finish.

Winery Description

Santa Rita Hills Top Estate

Situated amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Western Santa Ynez Valley, Melville is dedicated to producing exceptional cold-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah grown exclusively in their estate vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Prior to coming to the Santa Ynez Valley, the Melville family grew high-quality and greatly sought-after grapes in Sonoma County's Knights Valley for over ten years.

Ron Melville had a great desire to grow cold-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. In 1996 they founded Melville Vineyards in the area that was later to become the Sta. Rita Hills, an area located in the Western Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County. The family owned and operated winery is now known as one of the most highly-regarded estates in California.

The Sta. Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County is unique geographical area with a valley traversing East to West with the Pacific Ocean bordering on the West end. The "sideways" orientation brings direct marine influence into in the vineyards throughout the appellation.

Melville currently has 120 acres under vine. The soil is mostly Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. These vineyards are predominantly north/south-facing, planted in a high-density fashion. Vineyard management is key element of the Melville philosophy of wine growing rather than wine making. By concentrating efforts out in the vineyard, prior to harvest, less work is need in the winery, and thus the true nature of the grape shines through in the final wine.

The estate currently has 16 clones of Pinot Noir, 9 clones of Syrah, and 6 clones of Chardonnay. All blocks are fermented in small lots and isolated through their entire period of elevage, which gives Melville's team with an ongoing exhibition of how they can fine tune vineyard practices in order to achieve the most unmanipulated and site-specific wines possible.