In the wind-swept, rolling hills of western Santa Barbara County, you will find one of the best cool-climate growing regions on earth. And in this area, you will find one of the more consistent Pinot Noir producers in California! Ron Melville and his family have been farming high quality grapes for over 30 years. After finding success in Sonoma County, Ron's desire to grow cold-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah brought Melville Vineyards to the Sta. Rita Hills.
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is unique, as it is one of the few grape growing regions in California whose valley runs west to east. In doing so, the cooling air from the Pacific Ocean is able to rush through the area, keeping the daily temperatures low, and providing a long growing season that maximizes flavors. The soils at Melville are a mix of sand and clay, giving Pinot Noir beautiful aromatics combined with ripe, but not overpowering fruit. In addition, Melville plants their vines at a denser spacing than most. In doing so, root systems must compete with each other, inhibiting rigorous growth, naturally lowering yields and furthering the development of flavor and concentration. Farming at Melville is sustainable at a minimum, but often done organically.
The Sandy's block is named in honor of Ron Melville's sister and was deliberately planted on the extremely sandy northwest section of their east vineyard. When we taste through the single-vineyard offerings from Melville, the Sandy's bottling always stands out to us for it's wonderful fruit profile, perfumed aromatics, long finish, and this has become our favorite bottling from them!
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "Seeing 50% stems, the 2018 Pinot Noir Sandy's offers a more rounded, complex style as well as beautiful spiced cherry, incense, orange blossom, and foresty, almost pine tree-like nuances. It's medium to full-bodied, with a wonderful texture, present tannins, and a great finish. It's capable of evolving for over a decade."
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is unique, as it is one of the few grape growing regions in California whose valley runs west to east. In doing so, the cooling air from the Pacific Ocean is able to rush through the area, keeping the daily temperatures low, and providing a long growing season that maximizes flavors. The soils at Melville are a mix of sand and clay, giving Pinot Noir beautiful aromatics combined with ripe, but not overpowering fruit. In addition, Melville plants their vines at a denser spacing than most. In doing so, root systems must compete with each other, inhibiting rigorous growth, naturally lowering yields and furthering the development of flavor and concentration. Farming at Melville is sustainable at a minimum, but often done organically.
The Sandy's block is named in honor of Ron Melville's sister and was deliberately planted on the extremely sandy northwest section of their east vineyard. When we taste through the single-vineyard offerings from Melville, the Sandy's bottling always stands out to us for it's wonderful fruit profile, perfumed aromatics, long finish, and this has become our favorite bottling from them!
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "Seeing 50% stems, the 2018 Pinot Noir Sandy's offers a more rounded, complex style as well as beautiful spiced cherry, incense, orange blossom, and foresty, almost pine tree-like nuances. It's medium to full-bodied, with a wonderful texture, present tannins, and a great finish. It's capable of evolving for over a decade."
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