Melville Estate Pinot Noir 2009: It Takes Two…

melvThe name on this bottle belongs to Ron Melville, who grows mighty fine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah grapes in the very cool climate of the Santa Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County. The name of the winemakr belongs to another Santa Barbara winery.

But it takes two to tango, right?

Ron is the owner of Melville Vineyards, and he grows and sells wonderful grapes to some of the best names in California wine. Does Jaffurs ring a bell? How about Whitcraft? And what about Brewer-Clifton?

The Pinot Noirs made by these wineries from Ron Melville’s grapes have earned stratospherically high ratings, and command prices upwards of $50 a bottle. So what does Ron do when he wants to bottle his grapes under his own label? He teams up with the best winemaker he can find, who also happens to be one of his customers.

Greg Brewer is one of the leading lights in Santa Barbara winemaking, and arguably makes some of California’s best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At Brewer-Clifton, he’s created Pinot’s and Chardonnays that are very Burgundian in style: elegant, well-structured and age-able.

For Ron Melville’s winery, Greg has created a sensational Pinot Noir that’s also a sensational value, selling at $10, $20 or $30 less than other labels from the same vineyard. I had tasted this wine in previous vintages, and was always a fan, but I was pretty amazed by the 2009 vintage.

Melville Estate Pinot Noir 2009 is only the second Pinot I’ve tasted from this vintage, but it was a “2 for 2,” and enough to convince me that this vintage gets a big “thumbs-up.”

The first thing that hit me was the bright, juicy fruit in this Pinot. It was not “subtle.” It was not “delicate.” It was just really good. I got tons of Bing cherry and vanilla on the nose, with just a hint of “fall leaves” or forest floor to keep it from being too tooty-fruity. The palate offered more rich fruit, like black cherry and boysenberry.

But it was the finish that sealed the deal. This Pinot has structure, with the kind of well-integrated, silky tannins and bright acid that guarantee it will age like a fine Burgundy.

I loved drinking it, and I’ll really enjoy tasting it a year from now, when it’s settled down and matured a little bit. I think you and I will love it. Buy a bottle now and hold it, or drink it when you can’t stand to wait. Either way, I know you’ll enjoy it. Cheers!

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