The Melville family brings past experience to their new venture in the western Santa Ynez Valley. Previously, Ron Melville and family were operating a successful grape growing business in Calistoga, farming the usual Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The quality of their fruit was excellent, and much of it found its way into the Reserve wines of Geyser Peak, Dry Creek Vineyards, and Chateau St. Jean. Aside from their own production, the Melville fruit is largely committed to other local wineries: Brewer-Clifton, Babcock, Jaffurs, Santa Barbara Winery, Lane Tanner, and Ojai. Ron selected Greg Brewer as winemaker for the label, given Greg's stellar reputation and familiarity with Santa Barbara County fruit. Brewer, formerly of Santa Barbara Winery, also has his own Brewer-Clifton label, which is now utilizing the Melville facility as well.

?Virtually everyone I talked to in Santa Barbara applauds the meticulous craftsmanship and viticultural skills of proprietor Chad Melville. His talent is obvious in these outstanding efforts. ...The immensely talented Greg Brewer is the force behind these impressive, limited production wines from this Santa Rita Hills (one of Santa Ynez?s coolest microclimates) winery. All of these wines were bottled without fining or filtration, standard practice for this winemaker. ... What is especially impressive about all the Melville offerings is their purity and singular personalities. ...Bravo!? Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

www.melvillewinery.com

Chardonnay Estate
100% Melville estate grapes, this wine is a combination of clones 4, 76, 95 & 96 planted on well-drained sandy-loam soils. Yields averaged 3.2 lbs/plant in tightly spaced vineyards. The fruit was hand-harvested from 09.09.03 - 10.20.03, then gently whole-cluster pressed, cold-settled overnight and gravity transferred to barrel for fermentation, partial malo-lactic (?25%) and subsequent sur lie aging. Cooperage was 20% new French oak and is a combination of Sirugue, Marsannay and Damy. 15.0% alcohol.
2003 $19.99
This Chardonnay shows similar characteristics of previous vintages mirroring the racy, lemony and minerally style that is so indicative of the extreme cold and windy conditions of the Santa Rita Hills appellation. From the glass, refined aromas of candied lemon and lime intermingle with nuances of pie-crust, spice cake and wet chalk. Similar senses are noticeable in the mouth and are supported by hints of yellow grapefruit, cinnamon and gingerbread. On the palate, the wine is lively and fresh, remaining both elegant and gracious, leaving a bright and lengthy finish.

Chardonnay Inox
420 cases produced. The production of the 2003 Inox followed suit to previous vintages in that the wine was fermented in small, stainless steel tanks at 38 degrees over the course of several months, where the onset of malolactic fermentation was prohibited and the wine remained sur lie until bottling. Inox, French for stainless steel, befittingly titles this wine whose acidity and purity dictate such a designation. The 2003 exudes slightly fuller tones than in past vintages with nuances of candied lemons, baked apples and pears, interwoven with intriguing oceanic characteristics of wet rocks and seashells. These components are balanced by aromatics of granite and gun smoke, offset by hints of margarita and pumpkin spice. The rawness and steely nature of this wine comes through immediately on the palate with sharp acidity, but is supported by a supple texture and fleshiness redolent of Asian pears and dried stone fruits. Structurally, this wine finishes purely and precisely with great clarity and length.
2003??????? sold out
"A stainless steel dermented and aged offering dsiplaying a beautiful floral, fresh personality and a full bodied, long, heady finish. It is a terrific white to enjoy over the next 2-3 years." 92 Robert parker, The Wine advocate #154

Viognier Estate
290 cases produced.? Fruit for this bottling was picked quite ripe from both of our vineyards: 1/3 Santa Rita Hills (clone 1) and 2/3 Verna?s Vineyard (1/3 clone 1, and 1/3 Alban clone). Though 100% Melville estate fruit, this bottling will carry a Santa Barbara County designation, due to the percentages of fruit contributed from the dual AVA?s. The fruit was gently pressed, then gravity transferred to neutral cooperage for fermentation at approximately 45 degrees in the cold room, aged sur lie for six months and bottled in late April of 2004. The cold fermentation and no malo-lactic were employed in order to retain the wine?s liveliness and purity. Explosive aromas of honeysuckle, orange peel, jasmine and dried stone fruits. On the palate, the wine?s enormous weight is countered by a lean personality marked by very distinctive minerality.
2003??????? sold out
"Perfumed aromas of peach and mint, with a suggestion of exotic fruits. A distinctly muscular style of viognier, with flavors of citrus fruits, peach and spicy oak. Strong acidity gives this high-alcohol viognier good lift. I'd drink this very rich but bracing viognier in the short term." Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 1-2/05

Syrah Estate
Entirely grown on the estate, this is a combination of 5 syrah clones (Estrella, Durell, Shenandoah, 1 & 99). Yields averaged 3 lbs/plant in the tightly spaced vineyard. 100% of the grapes were gently de-stemmed and fermented in small 1.5 ton open-top fermenters. Total skin and stem contact averaged 30 days (6-7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation and 1+ week extended maceration.) From the press, the wine was hand-bucketed directly to neutral oak barrels, where it remained sur lie with no SO2 until the waning moon cycle of July. A vibrant and healthy hue sets the tone for the wine's richly saturated deep garnet and purple color. Aromatically, exotic notes of jasmine, floral-berry, violets, dried roses and lavender exude immediately from the glass. Boysenberry and black raspberry components then follow, intermingling with spices of cinnamon, anise and chocolate, which also carry through in the wine's taste. Texturally, the wine has nice weight giving a soft, silky impression that lasts through the wine's extended finish.
2002 $21.99
2001??????? $21.99??????? available
"Lots of complex flavors, with spicy, wild blackberry, floral, cranberry and spicy-herbal notes, finishing with a firm wall of tannins. Best from 2004 through 2008." The Wine Spectator 6/15/03
"Exotic raspberry, smoked meat, gunflint, pepper and minerals on the nose; I would have picked this as Saint-Joseph. Juicy, spicy and austere, with firm acidity. A distinctly clenched wine that doesn't quite del iver the complexity on the palate that the nose promises. Still quite tight and ungiving, finishing with firm-edged acids and tannins." Steve Tanzer, International Wine Cellar 1-2/05

Pinot Noir Estate
100% Melville grown, this bottling is a representation of all 11 pinot noir clones planted throughout their Santa Rita Hills estate. Yields were slight, at an average of 1.86 lbs/plant, and were hand-harvested. 75% of the fruit was gently de-stemmed, with 25% being fermented as whole clusters in small (1.5 ton) open-top fermenters. Total skin and stem contact averaged 30 days (6-7 day cold soak, 2+ weeks fermentation and 1+ week extended maceration). From the press, the wine was hand-bucketed directly into barrel (25% new French oak: Sirugue, Marsannay & Mercurey), where it remained sur lie with no SO2 until the waning moon cycle of May, when it was pressure-racked for the first time and returned to barrel by gravity.
2002??????? $23.99?
"The outstanding, deep ruby colored 2002 estate is a sexy, Burgundian styled effort displaying aromas of blue and black fruits as well as flowers, a natural texture, supple tannin and lush fruit." 90 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #154
"A solid effort, ripe, rich and dense, with firm blackberry and wild berry fruit that's complex and concentrated, if a bit tightly wound at this stage. Finishes with a firm core of tannins too. best from 2005 through 2010." The Wine Spectator 6/15/04

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Pinot Noir Terraces
In its inaugural vintage, Terraces comes from the slope that leads up to Carrie?s block, comprised of five pinot noir clones (Swan, Martin Ray, 115, 667 & 777) and sits on the windy western-edge of the estate. This site?s undulations, clonal diversity and severity of aspect mark a significant departure from Carrie?s in its unique juxtaposition of fragrance and flavor. A robust and complex wine on the nose, with aromas ranging from red and blue fruits to bacon fat, sweet cinnamon spice and anise. A similar harmony is maintained on the palate, where the firm texture is corralled by the rich, velour-like, sweet fruit characteristics finishing long and deep. Yields were slight at 1.3 lbs/vine (1.18 tons/acre), and were hand-harvested. 80% of the fruit was gently de-stemmed, with 20% being whole cluster. 432 cases produced.
2002??????? sold out
"Ripe and beautifully defined, with a rich, fleshy texture and load of complex blackberry and blueberry, and a touch of rhubarb. Finishes with a firm core of ripe tannins, too, but the exuberant flavors push through. Drink now through 2009. 430 cases produced." 92 The Wine Spectator 6/15/04

Pinot Noir Carrie's
Consisting of clones 114 and 115 from one of their blocks of pinot noir, Carrie?s comes from the wind-swept, clay-loam, western parcel of the estate planted just above the Terraces slopes. Yields were characteristically slight at 1.72 lbs/vine (1.56 tons/acre), and were hand-harvested. 80% of the fruit was gently de-stemmed, with 20% being fermented as whole clusters. In its 2nd vintage, it remains true to its core dominated by beautiful aromas of white flowers and dark, decadent fruits. Texturally, these motifs are enhanced considerably, turning the wine even more sumptuous and opulent, finishing both powerfully and gracefully with textbook pinot noir nuances. Those with a slight patience will be rewarded with time.
2002???sold out
"Excellent richness, focus and purity of flavor, with a delicious core of raspberry, blackberry and blueberry. Dark, complex and concentrated, it finishes with a burst of ripe fruit and ripe, integrated tannins. Drink now through 2010. 310 cases produced." 93 The Wine Spectator 6/15/04

Ron Melville, Owner???? Greg Brewer, Winemaker