Melville Pinot Noir Anna's Block Sta. Rita Hills 2023

Over on  the west side lies Anna’s Block, planted in 2001 on a gentle southern slope in the northwest portion of the vineyard. This area is one of our most even-ripening blocks as the rows are planted in a north-south orientation, receiving a consistent exposure to the cold-climate sun. The soil is a well-drained and low nutrient sandy loam, causing the vines to work incredibly hard to survive. This stress, combined with our targeted care and attention, leads Anna’s to produce small clusters and small berries, which equate to concentrated fruit that is exquisitely perfumed and inviting. Planted to two Dijon clones working well in tandem, Clone 667 is known for producing high quality wines in Burgundy and brings intense color, structure, depth and ageability, while the earlier ripening Clone 114 offers richness and stuffing.

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Cases Produced: 572
Soil type: Sandy loam
Clones: 667, 114
Fermentation: 67% whole cluster
Élevage: Aged in neutral barrel (15+ year old French
oak) for 18 months
Bottling date: December 06, 2024
Whole Cluster: 60%

The red cherry fruit combined with orange peel, mint, and white pepper are what really set this wine apart from other pinot noirs. It’s bright and fresh, and the ripe flavors are completed with 60% whole cluster.

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.