Melville Winery Pinot Noir 2006
Region: Santa Rita Hills, Central Coast, CA
Winery: Melville Winery
Variety: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes - A richer and slightly darker color than the Verna’s pinot noir, this wine exhibits more red and black fruits such as currants, cassis and plum. Spice aromatics stretch the gamut from clove and incense to sandalwood and orange-spice tea. Earthy elements of pomegranate, red beets, brine and minerals also shine through. The mouthfeel is plush and velvety with excellent presence while countered by a structural backbone of acidity giving the wine completeness and resolve.

production
This is 100% Melville fruit from our Sta. Rita Hills estate, and is a collection of 14 pinot noir clones. Yields were 2.7 lbs. / plant, and was hand-harvested over a five week period.

55% of the fruit was gently de-stemmed with 45% fermented as whole-clusters in small
(1.5 ton) open-top fermenters. Total skin and stalk contact averaged 30 days (7 day cold soak, 2 + weeks of fermentation and 1 + week extended maceration.) From the press, the wine was transferred directly into barrel (20% new Sirugue French oak), where it remained sur lie with no sulfur until April, when it was gently pressure-racked for the first time and prepared for bottling in July. 15.1% alcohol.

tasting notes
A beautiful red and black color shines from the glass with fresh fruit aromatics of red
currants, black raspberry, black cherry and umbeoshi. Spicy and herbal components of
mocha, maple, thyme, clove and orange -black tea also emanate while nuances of ocean
spray, white-oil flowers and crushed minerals thread through the background. On the palate, the wine blankets your mouth with a sensation that is plush, velvety and weighty yet remains driven and defined.

Posted by dustinjacobsen on December 7th, 2008 at 3:40pm | report comment